Reconstructed Destinies
by DJNS
Summary: Zuko and Aang switch places. What would happen if Zuko was the last Airbender and Aang was the outcast, Fire Nation Prince? AU.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Get up here! You need to see this!"

The excited commotion outside his stateroom had Prince Aang, firstborn son of Ursa and Ozai, 15 year old heir to the Fire Nation throne, rousing from his simple pallet on the floor of his private quarters. Contorting his lean body in a brief, but bone cracking stretch, he shoved his shaggy brown hair from his eyes and secured it in a neat knot at the top of his head. Before rolling to his feet, he sifted through a nearby pile of clothing and fished out a thin, red shirt. He gave it a cautious sniff and, after determining that it was clean, Aang pulled the billowing material down over his bare torso and crept barefoot over to the heavy iron door separating his cabin from the main corridor. When he stuck out his head, he discovered harried crew members rushing past him in the narrow hallway, frenzied to get above deck.

When he recognized a passing crewman, he snagged hold of the man's uniform sleeve and asked, "What's going on, Lieutenant Jee?"

Upon realizing that they had awakened the young prince with their commotion, Lieutenant Jee, a tall, wiry seaman with a sharply angled face softened by kind eyes, immediately snapped to attention. "Prince Aang," he intoned formally. "My sincerest apologies for the disturbance, my lord."

"At ease, Lieutenant," Aang said with a wide grin. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Aang? Just Aang. I haven't been a prince in three years."

"And how many times must I tell you," the lieutenant sighed, "…it's inappropriate, majesty…with all due respect, of course."

Aang repressed the urge to roll his eyes, caught somewhere between groaning and laughter at the lieutenant's predictable reply. "I'm going to break you down one of these days," he warned good-naturedly.

"You'll try, no doubt," Lieutenant Jee replied with a formal bow. "I will instruct the other crew members to keep quiet so as not to disturb you further, majesty."

"That's not necessary," Aang told him. "It was time for me to get up anyway. I'm like an old man these days. I'm starting to take more naps than Uncle." He lowered his tone to a conspiratorial whisper to add, "Don't tell him I said that. He'd take it as a challenge." The Lieutenant's lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile, but for propriety's sake he bit back the response. "So what's with all the noise anyway?" Aang asked again. "You guys aren't having a party without me, are you?"

Yet again the Lieutenant had to bite back a smile. "We wouldn't dare," he replied in a most serious tone.

"Then what am I missing?" Aang wanted to know.

"A strange light ahead, majesty," Jee answered. "The first mate only just informed me. He said the light just suddenly beamed through the sky. I wonder, perhaps, if it might be an omen."

The revelation had the young prince's features splitting with a beaming smile of burgeoning hope. "A light? That's not an omen, Lieutenant Jee…" Aang exclaimed a little breathlessly, clapping a hand onto the crewman's shoulder, "…it's the Avatar! This is it! I know it!" he cried. He rushed past a stunned Jee and began racing towards the steps, practically flying in his haste to get to the top deck. "This war is finally going to end, Lieutenant! We've found him!"

As the young prince disappeared above deck, Lieutenant Jee stared after him with a mixture of pity and hope. For almost three years, his lordship had carried on a seemingly fruitless search for an aging Avatar, continuing the tradition of his forefathers. In a discarded Fire Navy vessel that was only marginally seaworthy, they had literally searched the four corners of the world and back again. Leads on the Avatar's whereabouts had long since dried up. Scouring the Western Air Temple and the mountainous cliffs beyond had yielded few answers. With each new idea and every place visited, they would meet with continued disappointment.

Yet, in spite of the less than promising results, Prince Aang had remained optimistic, hopeful and full of boundless joy. The crew had come to expect and even enjoy his random detours and whimsical insistence on mini-vacations. He was quick with his laughter and extremely slow to temper. No matter how disheartening the circumstances, the Fire Nation prince always found a reason for happiness and his happiness was an infectious thing.

Aang worked hard. Though he was the undisputed commander of their vessel, he never acted like it. He was a valuable and capable crewman. Yet, he also had a balanced view of work and play. He possessed a keen wisdom to know when it was time to roll up his sleeves and when it was time to kick up his heels and relax. Music night was always a constant treat for the crewmen.

Consequently, Prince Aang and his crew always maintained good spirits. Rather than cheering him, which would have been completely understandable given the circumstances, the young prince ironically served as a buoying agent for his crew. He and his uncle were a never-ending source of entertainment with their singing and dancing and easygoing natures. Jee could not recall a single time that he'd seen his lord without a smile and that in itself was surprising given the circumstances the young man had endured.

At fifteen and a half years of age, the former Fire Nation prince had already suffered more than any young person should have to. His mother had abandoned him long ago and his remaining family, save his loyal uncle, had denounced him. Disfigured and driven from his home at the tender age of twelve, he could have easily become an embittered, disillusioned and angry young man. Instead, he was the antithesis of all those things. Even surrounded by war and destruction, the young teenager still managed to find inherent beauty in people and in life. There was an enduring naiveté to him that hardship could not crush.

While still recovering from an injury that had resulted from an ill-fated Agni Kai with his father, Prince Aang had made the bold decision to run away from home and do what no one before him had ever attempted. He would find the Avatar and, in doing so, he would help end a war that had held the entire world in its grip for 100 years. The world needed a hero. It needed the Avatar and Prince Aang had been determined to give back what his forefathers had stolen. His hope in the Avatar had bloomed strongly in the weeks that passed and it had only grown stronger in the subsequent years.

It was an idealistic prospect to be sure, one that not a single one of his crewmembers had believed he could accomplish in the beginning. Yet, over time, the young prince had changed their minds. There still wasn't any real hope among them that the Avatar would be found. The firm belief was that he had abandoned the world long ago. However, Aang's determination to find him, his belief that there was still hope, his adamant stance that his father should be stopped and his simple indomitable spirit compelled his crewmen to follow him on what seemed like nothing more than a fool's errand. His fortitude in the face of adversity strengthened them and incurred their deep respect.

Now there was not a single one of the sailors aboard the ship that would not follow him to the ends of the earth. There was not a single one of them unwilling to die for him. For the prince's sake, Jee sincerely hoped that the unearthly light was, indeed, the Avatar, for no one deserved to make that miraculous discovery more than his young master.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: All questions will be answered in due time. This fic kind of follows the events of the show and…doesn't. I don't know how else to describe it. Hopefully, you won't be disappointed.**

**Disclaimer: I no own Avatar, so you no sue. Some lines of dialogue have been borrowed from the show. Just giving credit where credit is due.**

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**Chapter One**

Katara cradled the unconscious boy in her arms and waited for him to awaken. She didn't doubt that he would. The moment she had spied his silhouette in the ice, Katara had known she was beholding something phenomenal. Pure instinct and adrenaline had taken over at that point. She had grabbed hold of her brother's weapon and rushed forward to shatter the ice. Seconds later, both she and Sokka had been blown back by the powerful light that radiated from the exploding ice.

When she looked up again, the boy, the obvious source of that ethereal light, was standing at the top of the ice ridge above their heads. Without warning, the glow emanating from his body dissipated and his body had sagged with the loss of it. As he'd tumbled down the frost covered slope, Katara had scrambled forward to catch him in her arms. She held him now, tenderly and carefully, willing him to open his eyes and look at her.

He didn't disappoint her. After only a few seconds, his lashes began to flutter and Katara found herself staring into wide, dark eyes the color of rich honey. The moment was quiet, overwhelming and profound. Katara felt as if her entire world had changed. She was instantly swept with the fierce need to protect him, even when she couldn't be completely certain as to why she felt that way, even when she had no idea who he was or his name. Her heart pounding, she held her breath in anticipation of his first words, leaning in close so that she didn't miss a syllable. Those first words proved to be pointed and frank.

"Do I know you?"

The crossly whispered demand was not quite what she'd expected and Katara reared back with a surprised grimace only to discover the boy was frowning at her as well. "Um…well, no…"

"Should I know you?" he followed up quickly.

"I…I don't guess so…" Katara replied uneasily.

"Then why are you touching me?" the boy wondered uneasily.

Belatedly realizing that she was still holding him, Katara snatched her arms from beneath him and watched as he carefully pushed himself into an upright position. The snow crunched and shifted behind him, but he seemed impervious to the icy bed in which he sat, in spite of his lack of covering and the fact he'd just been liberated from a block of ice. He stared at Katara in befuddled confusion.

"Sorry," Katara mumbled. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was worried you might be hurt."

"It's okay," he replied. "I'm fine. At least…I think I am." His frown deepened as he surveyed his surroundings. He regarded Katara again, this time with a mixture of suspicion and worry. "Who are you anyway? Did _you_ bring me here?"

Standing only a few feet behind her, his spear at the ready and his brow creased with mistrust, Katara's older brother Sokka surveyed the prone boy with a narrowed glower. At the thinly veiled accusation that _they_ were somehow responsible for his plight, Sokka felt his temper boil over.

"I think we should be asking _you_ that question," he countered sharply. "What exactly is going on? How did you get in the ice and why aren't you frozen? What was with that funny light a moment ago?"

"What funny light?" the boy demanded, abruptly floating to his feet. Katara and Sokka swallowed back stunned breaths at the sight. "How should I know how I got in the ice?" the boy muttered to himself, palming his head as if it were throbbing. "I'm not even sure where I am right now."

"In the South Pole," Katara answered. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Frozen in the massive iceberg, strange unearthly light…" Sokka provided sarcastically, "This ringing any bells for you?" The boy merely stared at him blankly. "How…did…you…get…here?" he enunciated.

The boy opened his mouth to retort, only to snap it closed when he realized he didn't remember at all. "I'm…I'm not sure," he answered. "The last thing I remember is leaving my room at the Southern Air Temple and getting trapped in the storm."

"The Southern Air Temple…right," Sokka drawled sardonically, adding under his breath, "As if that place hasn't been abandoned for a century now. Try again, ice boy."

Visibly confused and annoyed by the muttered comment, the boy made a face at him, obviously gearing up for a smart retort when a sudden, low keening halted his intentions. His eyes suddenly widened. "That's got to be Appa," he whispered. And then louder as he abruptly turned and went scrambling up the icy face of the gaping iceberg, "Appa!"

Katara and Sokka came running around the other side just in time to see the boy land into the fluffy fur of what had to be the largest animal either of them had ever seen. The siblings skidded to a halt, checking their initial impulse to run. Despite his massive size, however, the horned, six-legged creature seemed rather docile and extremely devoted to the boy. A feeling that was apparently reciprocated, if the tender way the boy nuzzled the animal's fur was any indication. However, he flinched back a bit with a longsuffering groan when the animal's large pink tongue lumbered out for a slobbery lick over his person.

"Appa," he scolded with a billowing sigh, though his tone maintained an underlying affection, "You know I hate it when you do that." Undeterred by this, the animal licked him again, which wrung a reluctant laugh from the boy. "Yeah, I know, buddy…" he murmured, burrowing his face deeper into the animal's thick coat. "I'm glad you're okay too. That was a rough ride, huh?"

"What…is…that?" Sokka enunciated with pronounced shock.

"This is Appa," the boy said. "He's my flying bison."

"Flying bison? Riiight…," Sokka replied with rolling sarcasm. "You're just full of it, aren't you? Next you'll be telling us you have mystical, otherworldly powers!"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation at Sokka, Katara approached the strange, yet intriguing young man with a ready smile. "Ignore my brother," she told him. "He was born paranoid."

The boy eyed the young Water Tribe warrior with wary eyes. "No kidding."

"I'm Katara, by the way—,"

"—Don't tell him your name!" Sokka balked in outrage. "He could be a spy for the Fire Navy for all you know!"

"Oh yeah, I'm so sure of that," Katara mocked with a laughing snort. "He has 'spy' written all over him." Quite the opposite, Sokka's supposed "spy" looked no older than they were and seemed just as bewildered. Ignoring her brother's muttering protests and disapproving glowers, Katara crept closer to the boy, cautiously extending her hand to him. "So now that you know my name…" she prodded in a sweet tone, "how about you tell me yours?"

After staring at her hand in a cautious beat of silence, the boy finally reached out and took hold of her mitted fingers. "I'm Zuko." The two exchanged tentative smiles, which incurred a disgusted grunt from Sokka. Both Zuko and Katara ignored him for the most part. What had been meant to be a brief handshake was unconsciously extended, as an instant and unspoken friendship was formed between them. Zuko was the first to let go, shifting uncomfortably in the awkward quiet that followed.

"It's very nice to meet you, Zuko."

"It's nice to meet you too, Katara."

"Oh, brother…" Sokka groaned in an under-breath. "Must we really do this? We're in the middle of a sea of ice, not sitting down to dinner!"

"Must you be so rude?" Katara hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Sokka huffed. "I'm hungry and it's making me cranky!"

His response incurred another eye roll from his sister. Finally, she dropped Zuko's hand and gestured back towards Sokka. "Forgive my brother Sokka. He can be a pain sometimes," Katara apologized.

"Hey!" Sokka protested. "If I wanted that bald kid to know my name I would have told him, okay!"

His complaining sailed right over Katara's head, however, because she very soon found herself staring at Zuko once more, in a mixture of curiosity and awe. She appraised him meticulously, taking in his foreign dress and odd appearance. He was adorned in a simple orange and yellow tunic, the flowing material of which seemed extremely light and thin and his skin was the palest she had ever seen. Not to mention his head was shaved clean and he was coatless. It was painfully evident that he wasn't indigenous to their area. Katara didn't know how he wasn't freezing. Even in her thick, fur trimmed outerwear she could still feel sharp penetration by the frigid arctic air. Zuko, on the other hand, hardly seemed aware of it.

"You're…you're not from around here, are you?" she devised carefully.

"Like I mentioned before, I'm from the Southern Air Temple," Zuko replied. "Since this is the South Pole, I shouldn't be very far from there. It shouldn't take me very long to get back home."

"You're planning to go back?" Katara balked softly.

"Sure," Zuko replied with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I? That's where I live…"

Katara and Sokka exchanged an uneasy glance. Unlike them, Zuko didn't seem to know that the Southern Air Temple was nothing more than a pile of rubble. No one had lived there in almost a century, not since Firelord Sozin had given the order to exterminate all the Air Nomads. Zuko, however, seemed unaware of that grim truth. Neither Katara nor Sokka were eager to enlighten him either. Katara didn't say anything because she didn't want to hurt Zuko. Sokka didn't say anything because he was still unsure whether or not to believe Zuko's fantastic tales.

However, despite their silence, their curious looks did not escape Zuko's attention. He regarded them with narrowed eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Is there a problem? Am I further from home than I thought?"

"Are you an Airbender?" Katara asked him, her tone both disbelieving and careful.

"Sure am," Zuko replied with a healthy dose of pride. "I'm not a master yet, but I'm going to be."

"Of course, you are. Why am I not surprised?" Sokka snorted. He raked Zuko with a contemptuous glance. "Master or not…no one's seen an Airbender in one hundred years. They're all gone." He glared at his sister when she gave him a sharp poke with her elbow for that comment. "So whoever you are…I'm not buying it."

"That's ridiculous," Zuko snorted. "I was just at the Air Temple. The monks are hardly scarce there. I don't know who gave you that idea, but they were wrong." Completely dismissing the Water Tribe boy's seemingly fanciful notions, Zuko glanced up at the sky, noting the gradual descent of the sun. "I should probably get back to the temple," he sighed. "My guardian will be worried about me by now." As he bended himself up onto the top of his bison's head he muttered to himself, "I guess taking off like I did wasn't such a good idea after all."

Zuko thought of his last confrontation with the monks and the noisy fit of righteous indignation he'd thrown upon learning they intended to separate him from his mentor and guardian, Gyatso. He had haughtily informed them that he was the Avatar and, if it was his wish to remain with Gyatso, then he would remain with Gyatso. Not surprisingly, his imperialistic demands had not gone far with them. In fact, it had made the Council even more insistent about splitting them apart. The plan was to have Zuko depart for the Eastern Air Temple the following morning.

Their arbitrary planning of his life had further enraged Zuko. He was going to have none of it. After one final, parting shot of bitter words, he had marched to his room, taken his glider and disappeared on Appa. He had been so angry and frustrated that it didn't even occur to him that he hadn't told Gyatso goodbye until he was trapped in a freak storm and it was much too late to turn back. As he thought about it at that moment, he felt a pang of regret. While he was reluctant to return to the Air Temple and face the consequences of his tantrum, Zuko also knew there was little point in putting off the inevitable either. Besides, he wanted to get back to Gyatso. If his time with his revered mentor was limited then Zuko wanted to enjoy every moment they had left together.

Sensing that the strange boy was about to make his departure and glad of it, Sokka tugged at Katara's sleeve. He was as eager to take his leave of Zuko as Zuko seemed to be to take his leave from them. "We should probably go too," he told her. "It's getting close to dinner time. You know Gran Gran doesn't like it if we're late." However, when he glanced out into the open water with the broken chunks of floating ice, he belatedly remembered that his canoe had been smashed to bits while navigating through an ice field. That unfortunate series of events had occurred mere moments before the boy in the iceberg materialized. Though he knew it was unfair, part of Sokka blamed the "Airbender" for the destruction of his canoe and practically everything else that had gone wrong since laying eyes on the boy.

Sokka groaned under his breath. "This is fantastic! How are we supposed to get home now?"

Quite aware of their dilemma and secretly grateful for the reprieve, Zuko volunteered, "I can give you a lift."

"Would you?" Katara asked excitedly, drowning out her brother's long-suffering groan.

"It's no problem," Zuko told her. "Appa's pretty fast and he'll get you home in no time."

"That'll be great," Katara said. "And as 'thank you' for your kindness, you should stay for dinner tonight."

"I…I don't know…" Zuko hedged. "It's getting late and I've been away from the Air Temple long enough already."

"Come on, Zuko," Katara wheedled. "I know you're probably pretty hungry."

As if to attest to that fact, Zuko's stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of food. Suddenly, he felt as if he were starving, as if he hadn't eaten in a hundred years. "Well, I guess I could stay for a little while…" he conceded.

Katara practically whooped with joy. "Great! I can't wait for my gran-gran to meet you!"

While it was clear that Zuko and Katara were becoming fast friends, Sokka was a great deal more guarded. He crossed his arms over his chest in a universally stubborn pose. "Uh-uh," he announced, shaking his head, "There is no way I'm getting on that horned ball of fluff. Count me out."

"Well, are you expecting some other horned ball of fluff to come along and save you then?" his sister queried as Zuko assisted her into Appa's saddle, "…you know, before you _freeze_ to death?"

Though he didn't necessarily want to acknowledge the wisdom in her reasoning, Sokka had little choice. He briefly opened his mouth to launch a retort, only to slump his shoulders in defeat seconds later. He glumly trudged forward to hoist himself up Appa's flank. When he and Katara were secured, Zuko snapped up Appa's reins and glanced back at them. "Hold on tight," he advised. "The first time flying can be a little overwhelming for some people."

"I'll try to restrain myself," came Sokka's unimpressed reply. He didn't even hold his breath Zuko emitted a sharp "yip, yip," and the mighty bison went airborne. However, when they hit the frigid water a few seconds later with a massive splash, it hardly came as a surprise to Sokka, who rolled his eyes in exasperation, at all.

****

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

Aang tossed a smile over his shoulder as his uncle approached the ship's iron railing and came to stand alongside him. "I'm too excited to sleep," he told Iroh a little breathlessly. "Every time I close my eyes, I wake up in a panic. I really want this time to be real, Uncle."

Detecting the vibrating hope in his nephew's tone and extremely reluctant to dispel it, Iroh glanced up at the sky. The moon was already beginning to peek out from the wispy clouds strewn across the darkened sky, spilling its milky glow out across the expanse and revealing the first twinkling of stars. Iroh sighed with wonderment over the beautiful sight. "I suppose it's an agreeable night to be struck with a bout of insomnia then," he declared.

"Does that mean you'll be keeping watch with me?" Aang solicited hopefully.

Iroh appraised him with a sideways smile. "Do you want me to stay, nephew?"

"I do."

"Then I will."

For a moment, the two stood in companionable silence with only the muted lapping of the sea's waves against the heavy hull of the ship sounding between them. Finally, Aang swallowed and said, "I'm…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Iroh asked with some surprise.

"Don't think I'm not aware of the fact that it's my fault you're out here," he said. "I made the decision to provoke Dad and run away. You only came along to protect me, but I've turned your life upside down. I know it. I live with it every day. If I'd never eavesdropped on that war meeting that day, if I hadn't gone to Dad afterwards like some stupid, naïve kid…"

"Aang—,"

"No," Aang plowed on insistently. "I'd already been told that I couldn't attend and so I had to find a way around it." He shook his head in self-disgust at the memory. "I still can't believe I was so naïve that I thought I could go to my father and _reason_ with him." He snorted. "What a joke!" He gripped the railing tightly, betraying a flash of rarely indulged frustration and anger. "Now you're a hunted fugitive because of me. Dad has the entire Fire Nation convinced that you've brainwashed me."

"I've never complained about the outcome," Iroh commented softly. "And I never will."

"Because you're a good man," Aang said. "And because you love me. But, it doesn't matter. Everything is going to change when we find the Avatar. He'll end the war and then your name and honor will finally be restored."

Iroh placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "Prince Aang, you should know that I have _never_ blamed you for what's happened," he murmured. "I came with you because I wanted to come with you and I would have done so whether my brother branded me as a traitor or not."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"There is no need to thank me," Iroh said. "I'm where I want to be."

"Still, I know you miss home," Aang insisted, "So do I." He heaved a short, introspective sigh. "It's so hard to believe that it's almost over. After so many years of searching…the world will finally find balance again."

"You mustn't get too far ahead of yourself, Prince Aang," Iroh cautioned him. "At this point, you can't be sure if that light we saw earlier was really the Avatar or not."

"It was, Uncle," Aang insisted softly. "It has to be. You saw it yourself. The light was still beaming bright even when I went above deck. It was otherworldly. The source of that light had to be unbelievably powerful. What else could it have been?"

Iroh sighed deeply. "Have you stopped to consider the possibility that it _was_ something else?" he queried carefully. "What will you do then, nephew?"

"What I've always done, I guess," Aang replied with a light shrug of consideration. "We'll keep searching…or I come up with an alternate plan to defeat my father on my own."

The statement provoked Iroh's sharpened glance. This wasn't the first time Aang had suggested facing off with his father in another Agni Kai. And just as he had done in times past when Aang had proposed the idea, Iroh promptly dismissed it this time as well. "You remember what happened the last time you faced Ozai," Iroh reminded. "It is not up to you to end your father's tyranny. That is the Avatar's destiny."

"You tell me that all the time."

"And it's true," Iroh stressed.

"But you said it yourself," Aang argued, "What if that light wasn't the Avatar? We can't just keep searching fruitlessly, Uncle, not while my father grows in power. Besides, I'm much stronger now than I was then. I'm a firebending master now." He flashed Iroh a wry smile. "I'm almost as good as you and we both know how good you are." Iroh sputtered in embarrassment over the compliment as Aang continued, "I can face my father again. I know I can."

That statement sobered Iroh instantly. "Face him and hold your own? Perhaps," he conceded. "Defeat him? I'm not so sure…"

"But if you're with me…" Aang considered.

"Not even then," Iroh told him. "You and I are of like minds, nephew. If you were to face your father again, it would be a match to the death. You could never go through with that. Out of your love for him, you would hesitate because he is your father, just as I would likely hesitate because he is my brother. But Ozai would _not_ hesitate. Familial bonds would hold no weight with him when his rule is challenged. The last time the two of you dueled, he merely scarred your face. The next time, I do not doubt he would kill you."

Aang's throat worked spasmodically at the dire pronouncement, but he betrayed none of the fear and hurt rolling in his belly right then as he turned his gaze out towards the black, pitching water beyond. "Well, if you're right and that light wasn't the Avatar," he considered grimly, "I suppose that's a chance I'll have to take."


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: So I noticed that some of you have some shipping questions, so I'll answer that right now. I switched Aang and Zuko's positions in life, not their personalities, attitudes, insecurities **_**or**_** who they are attracted to. Canon couples still happen, but now just in a completely different way. I actually thought I'd try my hand at combining certain elements of different ships. You'll pick up on that as we go along.**

**Really just try to imagine what would happen if Zuko found himself in Aang's position and Aang found himself in Zuko's. What would be the same? What would be different? How would their contrasting personalities drive their respective decisions in key situations? How would that turn the story? That's where I'm getting at with this fic. Shipping, while it will be addressed, is sort of minimal in this. I use it to drive the plot, but nothing more.**

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**Chapter Two**

"Zuko, you've barely touched your dinner," Katara remarked, "Aren't you hungry?" For twenty minutes she had been watching as he moodily shifted his food from one side of his wooden bowl to the other. Though he hadn't spoken a word, it was evident from the way his stare was transfixed on the flickering fire that he was a million miles away. Try as she might to read his eyes, Katara could not decipher what was going on behind them. "Is…is the food not to your liking?" she wondered timidly.

"No, it's fine," Zuko reassured her, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was the least we could do after you rescued us from being stranded," Katara said, "Thank you again."

"It was nothing," Zuko dismissed in a distracted tone, "Appa and I were glad to do it. But…it has gotten really late. I should be getting back to the Air Temple now." When he thought of Gyatso and how worried he must be by now, Zuko felt sick with regret. He made a mental note to keep careful check on his temper in the future. Gyatso was always chiding him about that, even while he commended Zuko for being so "passionate in his convictions."

"Be careful, my young Airbender," Gyatso had often warned him, "You have to know when it's time to stand and fight and when it's time to make a retreat." Zuko still struggled with learning that particular lesson. His first instinct was still to stand and fight and, regretfully, deal with the consequences only after the damage was done. However, he supposed the first step in remedying that shortcoming was to return to the temple and humbly accept the decisions the monks had made for him. It was what Gyatso would want and that alone was enough to compel Zuko to do it.

With that grim prospect before him, Zuko pushed to his feet with a heavy sigh. "I guess this is the point where I say goodbye," he announced reluctantly. He extended his hosts a cordial nod. "It was very nice meeting you all."

His words evoked yet another surreptitious and uneasy look between the Water Tribe siblings, this one shared by their grandmother as well. All throughout dinner the older woman had been rather taciturn and evasive. Zuko might have chalked up her behavior to old people's orneriness if it were not for the occasional sympathetic glances she threw his way. Furthermore, more than once he had witnessed the carefully unspoken looks between Sokka and Katara and their grandmother, Kanna. Their odd behavior raised Zuko's suspicions that something was awry. When Kanna began struggling to her feet, however, he was absolutely sure of it.

"I'm going to put away these dishes," she announced after gathering together the leftover remnants of food and empty wooden bowls. "I'm sure you kids have a lot to talk about."

After she disappeared behind the worn flaps of her tent, Zuko regarded Katara and Sokka with a curious frown. "What did she mean just now?" he demanded, "Is there a reason why you guys are trying to keep me from going home?"

"You think we're trying to do that?" Katara evaded with an air of petulance.

Her attempt to shame him into backing off didn't fare well. Zuko regarded her with a sour look. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

"No…no," she murmured, "…of course, you're not."

"So what's going on?" he demanded. "If there's something I need to know, please enlighten me." When Katara continued to hesitate, he huffed a little impatiently, "Would you just spit it out?"

"Zuko…" Katara began carefully, gently, "…there's something Sokka and I need to show you."

She hadn't even finished her statement, however, before Zuko was shaking his head. "Guys, I really appreciate your efforts to make me feel welcome," he said, "but I can't stay here. I need to be moving on." His intention to stoop low to pick up his staff and take his leave was halted when Sokka abruptly reached out to snag hold of his wrist. Zuko regarded him with a mildly impatient stare.

"I think you should see this," Sokka advised him grimly. When he was sure that Zuko was not going to walk off, Sokka released him. "It's important."

He and Katara took him out on the far outskirts of their village, where the frozen tundra of land met a smooth sheet of icy sea. There, in the middle of what had once been pitching water was a Fire Navy ship, looming in the darkness and trapped in the ice. White shards of jagged stalagmites gleamed in the inky night like decrepit fingers, cradling the ship's underbelly and hoisting it up from the sea bed in a macabre, frozen capture. Zuko inhaled a sharp, surprised breath.

"What happened here?" he wondered in dumbfounded amazement.

"That was one of the first Fire Navy ships to lead a raid on our village," Sokka explained flatly, "Gran-Gran forbade us to ever come out this far, but since we found you she thought it might be a good idea."

"A good idea?" Zuko echoed with a bewildered frown, "Why?"

"She thought it might help you to understand," Katara phrased carefully.

"Understand what?" Zuko demanded, "That the Fire Nation attacked your village? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they do such a thing?"

"Because we're at war," Sokka answered. "That's why."

Zuko's first reaction was to snort a laugh at the pronouncement. The very idea sounded so incredibly ridiculous to him that it seemed a natural reaction. In his entire thirteen years of life, he had known nothing of war. Even when the monks had made mention of the political climate following their revelation that he was the Avatar, not a word about "war" had been mentioned. He couldn't imagine where Sokka and Katara had gotten the idea.

"You think this is funny?" Sokka demanded belligerently, "The Fire Nation decimated our village. Our father left two years ago to help in the war efforts. _Nothing_ is as we know it anymore! None of this is a joke!"

"I'm not saying it is," Zuko replied mildly. "I just have to wonder where you're getting your information from. I know that the world situation is getting bad. That's the entire reason the monks told me…" He trailed off into abrupt silence, snapping his mouth shut. Zuko wasn't quite ready to reveal to his two new acquaintances that he was the Avatar. It was a reality that he was still grappling with himself. He certainly didn't want to talk about it with virtual strangers.

"Told you what?" Katara wondered. "What did the monks tell you?"

"It doesn't matter," Zuko dismissed. "What does matter is that they never mentioned a word about any war. What does matter is, if what you say happened _really_ happened, they would have told me."

"Are you saying it didn't?" Sokka challenged between clenched teeth. "Then where do you think that ship came from? Do you think we blinked it here?"

The two boys circled one another in menacing combat. "There must be some other explanation, that's all," Zuko replied.

As Katara wracked her brain for a way to convince Zuko of what she and Sokka were telling him while simultaneously rolling her eyes because they were being such _boys_ about the whole thing, a belated thought occurred to her. "Zuko…" she began in a careful tone, "…how long do you think you were in that iceberg?"

"I don't know…" he hedged with a shrug. "No more than a few days, I guess."

"Try one hundred years," Sokka corrected.

"What?" Zuko snorted. "You're crazy!"

"It's not crazy!" Sokka retorted. "Think about it. This war has been going on for a hundred years. You don't know anything about it. That means you must have gotten trapped in the iceberg _before_ the war started, which means you must have been there for at least a century."

"It sounds unbelievable, but it's the only thing that makes sense," Katara murmured in agreement.

"You're _both_ insane!" Zuko half cried, half laughed. "Trapped in an iceberg for a century? Do I _look_ like I'm a hundred and thirteen years old to you? This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" He should have stomped off right then and left them to their ridiculous reasoning. He wanted to, yet something kept him rooted in place…the insidious, numbing fear that maybe the two Water Tribe siblings weren't so crazy after all.

"You're looking at the proof right there," Katara said, nodding towards the disabled Fire Navy ship. "It's true. This war has been going on for a long time…as long as the Avatar has been missing."

"What?" Zuko's eyes widened at the statement and he turned his back to them, cold, creeping dread gnawing at him like red piranhas. He clapped his hands to his ears, trying to blot out the stark reality of Katara's words, but they echoed in his mind nonetheless. "I…I can't believe this…" he muttered to himself. "I need to go. I need to go back home right now."

As he pivoted on his heel to begin his blind trek back towards Appa, Sokka called out to his back, "Zuko, you can't go!"

He didn't stop walking. "Why not?" he challenged. "If what you're telling me is true, then I definitely need to get back home!"

"You don't understand! There's no home for you to get back to," Sokka informed him softly. The revelation stopped Zuko in his tracks. His chest filled with a painful gasp of air. "I'm sorry, Zuko…" the young warrior finished as the boy finally lurched back around to face him, "the Fire Nation destroyed the Southern Air Temple a long time ago." Zuko barely had time to process that first reeling statement before Sokka added grimly, "They destroyed them all."

**

"_What do you think pouting will accomplish?"_

_Zuko flopped onto his back and groaned when he found Gyatso standing over him, a gentle smile gracing his kind features. "Please don't be reasonable," Zuko begged. "I can't take it."_

_Laughing softly, Gyatso perched himself on the edge of Zuko's bed and gave the boy's shoulder an affectionate pat. "Come now," he cajoled. "It can't be as bad as all that."_

_Zuko rolled his eyes. "I barely had any friends to start," he sighed. "Now, ever since the other boys learned I was the Avatar, no one wants to play with me at all. I'm a pariah."_

"_You have plenty of friends," Gyatso refuted with an indulgent smile._

"_You maybe and most of the older monks," Zuko conceded, "but hardly anyone my own age."_

"_That's because you're an old soul and much too serious, my young pupil."_

"_I have plenty to be serious about, don't you think?" Zuko considered. "I'm the Avatar after all and I've yet to master airbending. I train and I train and I'm still not good enough. How am I supposed to master the other elements if I can't even get airbending?" Abruptly, he flopped onto his belly and burrowed his face into his pillow with a frustrated groan. "This is crazy," he muttered, his words muffled. "Are you sure the monks didn't make a mistake?"_

_His smile widening, Gyatso tenderly nudged Zuko's shoulder and coaxed the boy back around to face him. "The monks did not make a mistake," he stated implacably. "You are the Avatar, Zuko. I know the knowledge is overwhelming for you, but I have very few doubts you will be exceptional in the position. As far as your training goes…you will get that in time as well."_

"_What makes you so sure?"_

"_Zuko, I know very few individuals as determined as you," Gyatso said. "If mastering airbending is what you've set your heart upon then you will do it. That's simply who you are."_

"_I don't know…" Zuko grumbled. "Mastering airbending is one thing, being the Avatar is something else entirely."_

"_You'll meet that challenge as well," Gyatso declared confidently. _

"_Only because you're with me," Zuko said. "I don't know what I would do without you, Gyatso. You're my best friend."_

"_I think that might be one of the nicest things you've ever said to me," Gyatso teased him._

"_I could probably stand to tell you more."_

"_You don't have to. I already know." He straightened and rose to his feet. "Now then, will you please stop moping and go out to the courtyard to play? It's a beautiful afternoon. It would be a shame to waste it inside."_

"_What's the point?" Zuko pouted. "I told you. None of the other boys will play with me. They say I have an advantage over them now that I'm the Avatar, but the irony is that some of them are better Airbenders than me! It makes no sense! I'm the same person I was a week ago."_

"_That is a bit senseless when you think about it," Gyatso considered. "But you have to remember that learning you're the Avatar can be a little intimidating for some. You should be patient and give them time to adjust."_

"_Yeah, I guess…"_

_However, when he made no effort to move from the bed, Gyatso heaved a sigh of concession. "Alright then…if you won't go play, will you at least help me make a few fruit pies?" he murmured with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "They're not for eating."_

_Zuko shifted upright, a wide grin splitting his features as he discerned Gyatso's meaning. When Gyatso made fruit pies that weren't for eating it was always a good time and usually at someone else's expense. Some unsuspecting monks were about to get very, very messy. Zuko hopped from his bed and was already halfway out of his room when he answered his mentor with an excited, "You're on!"_

**

The memory rolled over in Zuko's mind, provoking a ghost of a smile that faded all too quickly. That instance had been one of the many, many good times he had shared with Monk Gyatso. Zuko was unwilling to accept that there would be no more times like that. He was unwilling to accept that he had lost, not just a century, but, his home, his people and, most importantly, his precious years with Gyatso. He simply was not ready.

However, he couldn't run either. Even when it was bad, even when he dreaded the outcome, Zuko had always faced obstacles head on. He stared down the darkness and stood his ground. A hundred years past almost guaranteed that his mentor was long since gone, that nearly everyone he had ever known had perished as well. The knowledge was visceral pain, stark, cold and blinding. He was shaking. He was terrified…but he needed to know.

"Take me inside the ship," he ordered flatly.

The Water Tribe siblings gaped at him simultaneously. "What?" Sokka balked.

"I want to go inside," Zuko clarified. "Take me inside that ship. I need to see for myself."

"That's a _really_ bad idea," Sokka cautioned, "First of all, it's a hundred years old. There's no guarantee that it won't come down on top of our heads. Secondly, it's probably full of booby traps. Going inside would be extremely dangerous."

"I'll risk it," Zuko retorted. He met Sokka's silent, stubborn warnings with equally stubborn resolve. "You're telling me that there is a war and that my people are gone. If it's going to be real to me, I need to see it."

"No," Sokka refused.

"Then stay here," Zuko said, "With or without you, I'm going inside."

"Wait!" Katara cried as he started forward. "We're coming with you!"

As expected, her brother had a fit. "What?" he cried sharply, "Did you not hear a word I just said, Katara?"

"He's right, Sokka," Katara conceded in soft reluctance, "You know he is. We can't let him go in there alone."

Sokka growled under his breath, torn between acknowledging her point and wanting to throttle her. "Gran Gran won't like this," he warned in a grumble, "_I_ don't like this." Yet, in spite of his continued protests, he cautiously followed Zuko and Katara as they disappeared into the forbidding hull of the abandoned Fire Navy ship.

The ship creaked and groaned as they entered. The eerie sounds they created echoed out into the frigid night. Sokka pressed close to Katara, who, in turn, pressed close to Zuko. Under different circumstances, Sokka might have scolded her for her proximity to the boy, but, considering the situation, he didn't mind it. His muscles were tensed for reaction in case anything went wrong and the closer they were, the easier time he would have of protecting them all. Sokka raised his lantern high, illuminating the icy interior of the ship in soft, orange light.

They were surrounded by rotting wood and the overwhelming smell of decay. Each step into the shaky bowels of the ship was fraught with unholy sounds of age and wear. Sokka had to swallow down the inclination to squeal his terror aloud. To say he found the exploration creepy was an understatement. Yet, he didn't betray even a flicker of fear. Instead, he did his best to keep close to his sister and Zuko and shine the meager light from his lantern on the abandoned recesses of the ship. Only when they reached the very lowest point inside the vessel's hull did Zuko finally seem to find what he'd been searching for.

Still pressed together tightly, the three entered a large, narrow room at the very base of the ship. Within seconds they were able to assimilate that it was a prison hold. Stacked by twos, rows of rusted, 4x4 cages lined the walls on either side of them. The hinges and locks to the doors had long since worn away so that they hung open, like a gaping mouth full of rotten teeth. It wasn't difficult to discern what the cages had been used for, especially given the shackles that still hung within them. Katara collapsed back into a nearby wall, clearly overwhelmed while Zuko and Sokka circled the interior of the room, their expressions identical masks of embittered hatred.

"I always wondered what happened to the Waterbenders after they took them away…" Katara mumbled in a mournful tone, "I never imagined this…"

"This is sick!" Sokka concluded harshly. "They…they just locked them up like animals."

"Why?" Zuko uttered in groaning disbelief, "I don't remember it being like this. Why would they do this?"

"Because a lot has changed in the last 100 years! Because the Fire Nation is full of heartless hate-mongers, that's why!" Sokka spat, for the first time moved with pity for Zuko because the hatred and anger he felt was clearly reflected in the other boy's features, "They don't care about anything except spreading death and destruction wherever they go! I hate them! They killed our mother!"

Zuko slashed a surprised look over at Katara, even in the murky dimness able to discern the tears shimmering in her eyes. "I didn't know…" he whispered.

"This war has taken something from us all, Zuko," she conceded quietly.

Though she had meant to commiserate him with the words, to provide him some semblance of comfort, Katara's words seemed to agitate Zuko instead. He snapped from his shocked stupor and squared his shoulders. "I have to get home," he announced, heading back the way they had come and leaving Sokka and Katara little choice but to follow him, "If the Fire Nation could do this to your people, then there's no telling what became of mine. If…if it's like you said, I _need_ to get home. Maybe some Airbenders went into hiding," he rambled on to himself, "Maybe they're still out there and I just need to find them…"

Katara caught hold of his arm, halting his ascent through the ship and the fanciful hope he was building for himself. "Zuko, you're not going to find them," she whispered gently, "They're gone. They're all gone. The Fire Nation wiped them out completely. They wanted to destroy the Avatar."

The revelation gutted him in ways Katara could not fathom. He snapped his arm from her hold and stumbled back a few steps, shaking his head in denial. "No. I don't believe that."

"It's true," Sokka insisted, "Firelord Sozin wanted to neutralize the Avatar and he wiped out every Airbender existing in order to do it. I'm sorry, Zuko, but…your people really _are_ gone."

He stared at them with glittering eyes, his features a stony mask of eviscerating pain and encompassing rage. He didn't want to believe them. That much was obvious. By accepting the truth, he would also have to accept his culpability in the destruction of his people and the all too consuming grief over that was nearly enough to send him to his knees. He actually felt physically ill.

Sozin had set out to destroy the Avatar, to destroy him and, in an effort to do so, he had eradicated an entire race of people. Zuko's nation had literally been sacrificed in his stead. Their blood was on his hands. He bore the responsibility for their genocide just as the Fire Nation did. The knowledge left him feeling dead inside.

Zuko knew that he would pay for that error for the rest of his life. But, right then, he made himself a promise. _They_ would pay as well. He didn't know how or when, but he _would_ make them all pay for what they had done. He would not rest…he would not stop, not until the Fire Nation had paid back what they had stolen, land for land, nation for nation, soul for soul. He would see to it. If being the Avatar had afforded him nothing before that moment, it would grant him that…it would deliver the Fire Nation into his hands for destruction.

That hatred filled promise burning in his heart, Zuko regarded Sokka and Katara with a dispassionate stare. "Then I know what I must do," he determined quietly.

"What's that?" Katara and Sokka asked simultaneously.

"I'm the Avatar," Zuko announced without preamble.

Katara's reaction was one filled with speechless dismay while Sokka merely guffawed with incredulity. "Yeah right!" he snorted, "Are you always this dramatic?"

"I'm not lying to you," Zuko maintained sharply, "How else do you think I managed to get frozen in an iceberg for 100 years and _not _die?"

"He has a point," Katara conceded, still clearly dazed by Zuko's revelation. She had been waiting for the Avatar to return seemingly all her life. To have him standing less than three feet away and have his identity revealed to her in the most underwhelming way was a bit disconcerting.

"So what? He was frozen in an iceberg for a little while," Sokka scoffed, "Big deal. That just makes him weird. It doesn't mean he's the Avatar. Look at him. He's not even old enough to shave yet!"

"Neither are you," Katara retorted tartly. "Besides, what other explanation is there?"

"It doesn't matter!" Zuko interrupted impatiently, effectively quelling their bickering antics, "I am the Avatar. Believe that or don't. I don't care. There are things I have to do and I can't afford to waste anymore time here." He turned to resume his trek through the ship. Sokka and Katara trotted after him.

"What are you going to do now?" Katara wondered.

"The monks told me that I needed to learn to the other elements," Zuko said, "First water, then earth and lastly fire. I'm going to do that." He paused briefly to flick Katara with a hopeful glance. "You're a Waterbender, aren't you?"

Sokka concealed his laughter behind an affected coughing fit, incurring Katara's displeased glower. "Well…I…um…I'm not very good," she admitted to Zuko sheepishly, her cheeks blooming with color. "I'm still learning."

Zuko grunted his disappointment. "Then I need to find someone who can teach me," he concluded.

"There are no more Waterbenders left in our village," Sokka told him, "The Firebenders took them all away."

"Well, is the Northern Water Tribe still standing?" Zuko asked.

"As far as we know," Sokka replied.

"Then that's where I'll go. There has to be a Waterbender there who can teach me."

"So you're just going to leave?" Katara concluded in disappointment. "That's it?"

"I can't stay here with you, Katara," Zuko told her, his tone resolved, but regretful. "I need to learn the bending disciplines. I should have done it a long time ago."

They emerged into the frigid night a few minutes later, defeated and heartsick and absolutely certain that they had come to the point where they would say their goodbyes when frenzied cries in the distance caught their attention. Zuko, Sokka and Katara glanced up to see one of the younger boys from the village burst out of the darkness and come running towards them at breakneck speed. Alarmed by his obvious agitation, the three teenagers met him halfway.

"What's going on?" Sokka demanded before they even reached him, "Has something happened to Gran Gran?"

"You have to come home right now!" the boy bid them frantically. He paused to take a massive gulp of air before clarifying grimly, "It's the Fire Nation…they've come back."


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

It was hard not to feel acutely self-conscious.

Aang was used to people staring at him because of the puckered scar covering the upper left quadrant of his face. He was a walking freak show and he knew it, but this was something else entirely. The _entire village_ was staring at him…or rather, the back of his head.

He and his uncle sat before a large fire in the center of the Water Tribe village, politely sharing a pot of tea with the village matriarch while valiantly pretending to be unaware of the fact they were under intense scrutiny. They further pretended not to know that Aang's own men were situated on the very outskirts of the crowd, fists and weapons at the ready. Each man was prepared to react with deadly force if any threat presented itself to their beloved prince. The entire situation made Aang feel terribly uneasy.

It also didn't help that the village matriarch, whose name was Kanna, was not at all conversational. Instead, she presented herself as an altogether gruff, taciturn, cantankerous old woman. Rather than grilling them on their abrupt and unexplained arrival, as he and Iroh had half expected, she, instead, sat watching them though the leaping flames between them with keen, dissecting eyes. She had touched his uncle's tea maybe once and that alarmed Aang more than anything else. _No one_ refused his uncle's tea.

"Er…is it not hot enough?" Aang wondered aloud, nodding towards her abandoned cup. "I can reheat it for you," he offered. However, when he started to reach forward to do just that, Kanna stilled his efforts.

"That isn't necessary. The tea is very fine," she complimented Iroh shortly.

"Thank you," Iroh returned politely, "It's a specialty of mine."

Aang held his breath, hoping that the brief exchange would be the pathway to deeper conversation but, to his disappointment, Kanna lapsed back into silence once more. He resisted the urge to groan his frustration aloud. After all, he couldn't really blame her for her wary demeanor. It wasn't as if they'd announced their arrival or that they were even remotely welcome.

He supposed it wasn't every day that a ship full of Firebenders pulled into their meager harbor with offers of tea, foodstuffs and blankets. Were Aang in their place, he would have mistrusted them as well. Actually, he would have thought they were completely insane! Given that consideration, the young prince supposed it was a miracle the people had received him and his uncle politely at all and, for that reason, he made a concerted effort not to take their unwelcoming attitude personally.

"Soo…it's very cold here, isn't it?" Aang commented inanely after a long, awkward silence, hoping to jumpstart the conversation once more. He did, just not in the manner he'd hoped.

"It's the South Pole," Kanna replied brusquely. "It's always cold."

"This…is…uh…my first time coming here," Aang stumbled in explanation, tugging self-consciously at the collar of his uniform. He cleared his throat awkwardly when she said nothing in response to that. There was something ridiculously unnerving about the woman's steady gaze. He had to check the impulse to fidget. A brief glance at his uncle told Aang that Iroh was fighting the same inclination.

"I'm not surprised this is your first visit," Kanna grunted finally, "I doubt our little village holds much excitement for a Fire Nation prince."

Now it was Aang's turn to be momentarily speechless. He gaped at her. "You know who I am?" he breathed incredulously.

Her features softening just a bit, Kanna made a vague gesture towards her face, indicating Aang's rather prominent scar. "We've all heard the stories. Besides," Kanna added in a dry tone, "I overheard your men call you _Prince_ Aang. It wasn't too difficult to put together."

"Oh…" Aang mumbled sheepishly.

"So then you can understand why I'm wondering about the reason you're here," Kanna said, "Your people haven't brought good things for my village."

"I realize that," Aang acknowledged in a contrite whisper, "and I'm very sorry."

"Your presence is making people uneasy," Kanna stated bluntly. "There's nothing for you here. All the Waterbenders were taken from our village a long time ago. If you're hoping to find some way to please your father, you won't find it here."

Aang dropped his head forward and mumbled, "You have no idea how wrong you are."

He was disheartened by her answer because it was beginning to look more and more likely that the obstacles placed in his path by his nation were insurmountable. He didn't know if he could ever compel these people to trust him after the way they'd been mistreated by the Fire Nation. To Aang, that was the greatest tragedy of all.

It wasn't that they didn't seem to want to accept his gestures of kindness. He had been dealing with rejection during a good deal of his travels and this was no different. Often though, protective walls were lowered once people realized that he and his uncle were not a threat. Aang had even formed lasting friendships with townspeople who had, at one time, viewed him as the enemy.

Yet, it seemed different with the Water Tribe villagers. Aang was saddened because he wasn't even sure that offers of kindness could soften these people. Too much had been stolen from them. Some scars were simply too deep. Some scars never healed.

Unaware that his grief over that fact was playing plainly across his features, Kanna regarded Aang with curious, narrowed eyes. "Then tell me, young firebender, why _are_ you here? Do I and my people have reason to fear you?"

Aang opened his mouth to answer her question, but never voiced it aloud. A sudden, feral war cry sounded out of the darkness mere moments before he was clipped in the head by something hard. Aang's vision momentarily doubled and he weaved with dizziness. He only barely managed to duck when the boomerang came twirling back in his direction. Unfortunately, he had no time to breathe a sigh of relief over the near miss because he was tackled to the ground promptly after.

Though taken off guard, Aang quickly regained his bearings. His attacker brought down his mighty weapon, with the obvious intention of splitting open Aang's head, but Aang reflexively blocked each blow. In the midst of the struggle, he managed to bring his knee up between himself and his assailant and plant his foot into his attacker's mid-section. With a grunting heave, he pushed with all his might and flipped the other boy onto his back with a crunching thud against the snow-packed ground. However, he had no sooner fended off one attack and bounded to his feet when he was rapidly bombarded by another.

Two stiff blasts of air slammed into his ribs without enough force to knock the breath from his body. Aang wobbled precariously but didn't topple over altogether. However, his shaky footing and temporary inability to breathe was the least of his concerns. He was almost certain he had just been assaulted by an _Airbender_.

His heart practically quivering with excitement and disbelief, Aang quickly began scanning the confusing crowd of faces for the source of the attack, but was once again knocked to the ground with brutal force. While he and the Water Tribe boy grappled with one another in the snow, Aang's loyal crewman had already sprung into action. Within seconds, the village courtyard was soon crisscrossed with zinging fireballs and screaming occupants ducking for cover. Women and children were scrambling about in absolute terror. Attacks were volleyed back and forth.

For Aang, the entire scene was like a macabre replay of every horror his father had committed since ascending the throne as Firelord. He didn't want to be _anything_ like that. He didn't want to use fear and violence to get what he wanted.

Needing to subdue his assailant, but not wishing to hurt him, Aang flipped their positions so that the flailing boy was trapped beneath him, anchored there by his forearm. Using his free arm, he jerked his hand upward in a sharp, c-shaped arc, causing the small fire in the middle of the camp to suddenly blaze into a towering inferno. A deafening crackle roared through the village. Every single occupant in the camp froze in place. When Aang was certain he had everyone's rapt attention, he calmly abated the leaping flames and ordered his men to stand down. It was only then that he and his fellow combatant rolled away from each other, each gasping for breath.

"What is your problem?" Aang demanded crossly.

"I'm not the one who invaded your home!" the Water Tribe warrior spit back.

"We were having tea," Aang muttered as they both struggled to their feet, "not staging a coup." It was then that he got his first clear look at his attacker and realized he was just a boy, no older than Aang himself. The realization distressed Aang as much as it relieved him. _Yet another teenage boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders_, he thought.

"I don't care why you're here," Sokka snarled, "You're not welcome."

"Listen, I'm not here to cause trouble," Aang reassured him earnestly. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I came here because I thought you might be able to help _me_."

"And why would we want to help Fire Nation scum like you?" the boy sneered.

"Please, listen," Aang pleaded between gulps of breath, "I realize my nation's reputation precedes me. But _I_ mean you no harm. I don't serve the Firelord. You could say that you and I are in the same position. We want the same things."

"Really? And what's that?" Sokka challenged with a snort.

"We want this war to be over," Aang answered simply.

Something hopeful flickered in Sokka's eyes before it died out completely in a rising tide of pure hatred and long suffered mistreatment. "Do you think we're stupid?" he spat angrily, "You've taken all you can from our village and now you want to _pretend_ to be our friends? Get out of here!"

"My nephew and I truly do not mean you any harm," Iroh insisted. "This entire ordeal has been a terrible misunderstanding."

Sokka hitched a wary glance in the portly man's direction. "If that's true, state your business and move on!"

"There was a beam of light earlier," Aang explained quickly, "It was incredible. It lit up the entire sky…you had to have seen it…" When no one made any verbal confirmation to his assumption, he pressed on, surveying the crowd as he spoke, "I think that light must have come from the Avatar. I believe he's returned to us." His declaration was met with a range of emotions, from snorting incredulity to tentative uneasiness.

However, it was the latter reaction that captured Aang's attention and held it. Though his opponent seemed to laughingly dismiss his concerns, his fellow villagers seemed strangely uneasy. Suspicions rising, especially in light of Aang's firm belief that he'd been on the receiving end of an air strike, he watched the Water Tribe boy's face intensely for signs of deceptions. He was so intent in doing so that he failed to notice a young, Water Tribe girl, on the edge of the crowd, surreptitiously tucking a pale, bald boy behind her.

"The light beamed not too far from here," Aang told Sokka, "Maybe he came here afterwards. I need you to help me find him."

"That's ridiculous! The Avatar is _gone_," Sokka brazened, "Everyone knows that! The only people who hang on to the idea that he might still be alive are Fire Nation and we all know why! _Get out of here!_"

"That's not why I'm looking for him. That's not why I hang on to the belief that the Avatar is out there," Aang replied quietly, "He's a source of hope for me. Like you, I've lost many things to this war. I just want it to stop. Hope is the only thing we have left. I know he's still out there. I've spent the last three years of my life searching for him and I'll keep searching until this war is over."

"Is this the part where we're supposed to be impressed by your noble cause?" a voice suddenly snapped at him out of the darkness, "Oh I'm sure you've been searching for the Avatar, but only because you want to remove the last obstacle standing between your nation and complete domination!"

Aang turned towards the embittered voice, ready to defend himself, and immediately lost his train of thought. Standing less than six feet away from him, features twisted with anger and mistrust, was a girl, also about his age, with ordinary pretty features and an impudent air. Truly, there was absolutely nothing remarkable about her whatsoever. She had round eyes and a round face, encircled by a fur-edged hood. Absolutely nothing spectacular at all and yet, Aang couldn't look away from her. He felt like he was falling into her.

He actually had to remind himself to breathe. The entire world around him seemed to slow to a crawl. He couldn't see or hear anything or anyone besides her. Aang stared into her eyes, a deep blue alive with hatred and mistrust, and he spied something deeper beyond those volatile emotions, something that compelled him. Though the feeling was inexplicable, Aang could easily discern what lurked beyond her anger as she glared at him. It was something inherently familiar, something kindred. He could sense the hurt and vulnerability beneath her doubt and bitterness…he could sense her desire to believe him.

"How do we know we can trust you?" she whispered.

"I came to you when I knew I would be received with scorn and hatred," Aang pointed out softly, "and I'm still here. I'm still trying. I haven't attacked you and I'm not going to."

"I don't know…" Katara hedged, visibly struggling with between trusting him and dismissing all he said. "There's absolutely no reason why I should believe anything you're telling me."

"Of course, there is," Aang concluded lightly. "We're the same. I know you have hope in the Avatar just like I do. I can see it in your eyes."

That knowing declaration earned him a sharp poke in the back. He swung back around to Sokka, who was glowering at him darkly. "Don't talk to her," he ordered Aang stiffly, "Don't look at her! You have something to say, say it to me!"

A quick glance between him and the girl, combined with the boy's volatile reaction, affirmed to Aang that he was dealing with relatives, possibly siblings. Aang made a mental note to keep his distance, wisely recognizing that he'd only alienate the boy more if he kept appealing to the girl. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable," Aang addressed Sokka earnestly, "I'm not here to make you people do anything you don't want to, but I _need_ your help. The world needs your help! I can't do it by myself!"

"Why should we believe you?" Sokka demanded, echoing his sister's earlier words, "For all we know, this is just a new Fire Nation trick to get us to lower our defenses!"

Aang regarded him with a mixture of frustration and regret, recognizing finally that he was getting nowhere. "I'm not tricking you. I told you what I wanted from the very start," he said. "I want this war to end. I want to help the Avatar defeat the Firelord. You have no idea what he's capable of! If you know where I can find the Avatar then you have to tell me." Aang held his breath, hoping that his humble pleading had struck some chord with them, but he was met with resounding silence. In the end, he wasn't surprised.

"Okay," he conceded with a disappointed swallow, "I can see that my continued presence here isn't helping." Aang held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'll go, but I'm not leaving entirely. My crew and I will remain docked in your harbor for another night in case any of you decide to change your minds and help us. Please, please think about what I said." With one last, beseeching glance around the crowd, Aang motioned for his men and, together, the Firebenders began retreating to their ship.

Only when they were completely swallowed up by the darkness, did Sokka, Katara and Zuko slump with relief. However, that relief was short-lived because Kanna was quickly hustling them over to the privacy of her tent and grilling them relentlessly. "What was that about?" she demanded, "Why does he think we know where to find the Avatar?"

"Because we do, Gran Gran." Katara nodded towards a moodily silent Zuko. "It's Zuko. He just told us tonight. He's the Avatar."

"Oh dear…" she mumbled. However, she was quick to recover from her shock. "What will you do?" she asked Zuko.

"I…I don't know," the boy mumbled, clearly overwhelmed.

"He has a long way to go, Gran Gran," Sokka explained quickly. "He has to master all four elements and, according to Zuko, he hasn't even nailed down airbending yet."

"Oh dear…" Kanna groaned again.

"Exactly. So you can see how bad this is," Sokka interjected grimly, "If the Fire Nation finds out we have the Avatar, then it's really over. Zuko needs a waterbending instructor and fast. We have to leave here, Gran. We have to do everything we can to protect Zuko."

Zuko speared him with a sharpened glance, clearly surprised by the proclamation. Sokka was surprised as well. He wasn't sure when the decision had come to him. In the half hour that had elapsed since he, Katara and Zuko had raced back to the village there had been little time to think. Yet, now that he had voiced the intention aloud, Sokka knew that he had every intention on following through.

For some reason, he could not banish from his mind the devastated look on Zuko's face when the Airbender finally saw the interior hull of that Fire Navy vessel. Sokka had seen his own angry turmoil reflected on the other boy's countenance. In many ways, they had endured the same sufferings and shared the same loss. It was their destiny to stick together, Sokka decided.

"Sokka, I'm not sure we should just run away…" Katara hedged, "Maybe…maybe that boy was telling the truth. Maybe his motives are sincere. Besides that, he's a Firebender. That will prove useful to us eventually."

"What?" Zuko and Sokka exploded simultaneously but, of course, her brother took it a step further. "Katara, are you crazy? You're talking about this guy teaching Zuko firebending? Hello? Did you not _see_ him? That big, ugly scar can mean one of two things: he's bad news or he's simply bad! Either way, he's of no use to us!"

"Yeah, I saw him, Sokka," Katara confirmed tersely, "and I don't think his scar means either thing. I didn't sense any threat in him. He seemed sad and frustrated more than anything else. I…I can't explain it, but… I looked into his eyes. I don't believe he wants to hurt us."

"You looked into his eyes?" Sokka balked in disgust, "Tell me you're not serious!"

Katara turned a desperate glance towards her grandmother for support. "You understand what I mean, don't you?" she pressed anxiously, "I mean, you _were_ having tea with them when we arrived."

Kanna wasn't immune to Katara's beseeching blue stare. She sighed heavily. "Your sister is right, Sokka," she acknowledged quietly, "I don't believe the Prince means us any harm."

"I'm sorry did you say _prince_?" Sokka balked, "As in _prince_ of the _Fire Nation_?" He trilled a hysterical laugh. "Well, this just gets better and better!"

"He brought us blankets and tea," his grandmother reasoned, "Does that seem threatening to you?"

"How do you know the tea wasn't poisoned?" Sokka argued.

"They drank it too, Sokka," Katara grated in exasperation, "I doubt it was poisoned."

"Well…well maybe it's just a new tactic to get us to lower our guard," Sokka dismissed quickly.

"Since when does the Fire Nation pretend to be our friends to get what they want?" Katara argued. "Pillaging and destruction is all they know and that boy was nothing like that. Besides, you heard him. He said we didn't know what the Firelord was capable of… You know the stories. If he's really the Firelord's son then Firelord Ozai is the one that put that scar on his face."

"That's just a rumor," Sokka scoffed, "What better way to keep the world cowering in fear of the Fire Nation then to paint Firelord Ozai as a man heartless enough to burn his own son's face off?"

"Well, you saw him," Katara mumbled, "There has to be some truth to it."

"It really doesn't matter who he is," Zuko interrupted stiffly. "He's Fire Nation. That means he's the enemy. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to protect the world from threats like him. We can't just let him sit there. If Sokka's right, and he's lying to us, then we could all be in danger."

"What are you suggesting?" Katara hissed, checking the urge to roll her eyes, "Are we just supposed to blow his ship out of the water?" A meaningful look passed between Zuko and Sokka, leaving Katara shaking her head in incredulous disgust. She slapped her hand against her forehead. "Sokka, this is the most ridiculous idea you've ever had!" she groaned, "Now who's insane?"

"I don't believe you should try to solve this problem with more violence," Kanna advised.

"What else can we do, Gran?" Sokka exploded shortly. "You saw what he did to that fire. He outnumbers us 10 to 1. There's no way we're going to take him in hand to hand combat. If we're going to protect ourselves, we have to be just as sneaky and underhanded as the Fire Nation has been. We have to fight fire with fire."

"But he hasn't attacked us, Sokka," his grandmother reasoned.

"Do you want to wait until he does?" Sokka volleyed back.

Katara crossed her arms stubbornly. "I don't want any part of it," she declared, "If you're going to attack that ship, count me out."

"We have two choices here," Sokka stated implacably, "We stand and we fight or we cut and run."

"I can't run away," Zuko burst out heatedly, "These people destroyed my home…my people. I won't just walk away and pretend like that's okay when it's not!"

"Well, I won't fight," Katara countered. "I understand how you feel about the Fire Nation, Zuko. We all feel that way, but… This boy and his men came to us in peace. It would be wrong to attack him. We wouldn't be any better than the Fire Nation."

"So then we run," Sokka decided somberly. He clamped a reassuring hand on Zuko's shoulder when the younger boy jerked his eyes aside at Katara's words. "You'll get the chance to face them," he reassured Zuko, "and when you do, you'll be strong enough to do it. That's what you need to concentrate on."

"I don't like running away," Zuko muttered harshly.

"Don't think of it that way," Sokka said. "It's not running. It's regrouping. When we face the Fire Nation again, you'll be ready." He turned a glance in the direction of the Fire Navy ship, waiting quietly on the water beyond their village. "We all will."

****

"Where do you think you're going?" Iroh demanded as he watched Aang haphazardly sling clothing and supplies into a large canvas bag.

"Uncle, they lied to us!" Aang explained frantically, "They know _exactly_ where the Avatar is! I know they do!"

Iroh sighed as Aang dashed from one corner of the cabin to the other, obviously beyond reason though Iroh still made the attempt regardless. "Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions?"

Aang paused to regard him with a brief, but earnest glance. "I knew you would say that," he sighed.

"Maybe because I'm right," Iroh considered mildly. "You're an impulsive young man, but you've always thought your actions through. Aang, you need to take a moment to think about what you're doing."

"Normally, I would agree with you," Aang conceded, "There's no one's judgment I trust more than yours, Uncle, but this time, I have to follow my instincts. I know I felt an airstrike tonight. There was an Airbender there in that camp! It was the Avatar!"

He resumed packing, but Iroh persisted with his arguments nonetheless. "Aang, you've never even seen an Airbender in your lifetime, let alone felt an airstrike," his uncle reasoned, "How do you know it wasn't the wind?"

"It wasn't the wind," Aang declared, slinging his pack onto his back. "I have to act quickly. They're going to run. Probably tonight."

"How do you know that?" Iroh challenged.

Aang grinned at him. "Because I would if I were in their shoes," he replied jauntily. "I'm going after them, Uncle. It's the only way."

As Aang started bustling his way up onto the top deck, Iroh dogged his every step, hoping to talk some sense into his recklessly noble nephew before it was too late. "They are not going to welcome you."

"I know that."

"What if they attack you again?"

"I can handle it."

"Aang, please, I'm begging you! Think this through," Iroh pleaded.

The fear and concern in his uncle's tone caused Aang to stop short. Abruptly, he swung back and threw his arms around his uncle, clasping him close in a tight embrace. Iroh hugged him back just as tightly. "I'll be okay," he whispered reassuringly, "You've taught me well. Don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you," Iroh whispered back. He set Aang back from him and surveyed the boy with a long look. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Uncle, you know that ever since I was a little boy I've had visions that one day the Avatar would stand on my left side," Aang recounted, "My father thought that meant that the Avatar was, one day, destined to be degraded and fall at my feet, but I think I always knew that wasn't the case. Last night, I had another dream and I finally realized…the Avatar wasn't standing on _my_ left side at all. _I_ was standing on _his_ right. I'm destined to serve _him_. This is what I was born to do. It's meant to be this way."

Moved by his nephew's solemn conviction, Iroh bracketed Aang's shoulders with his hands, proud and anguished all at once. "Promise me that you will take good care of yourself," he entreated gruffly.

"I will," Aang promised. "I'll send you word as soon I know where I'm going." Accepting that vow with a nod, Iroh walked Aang over to the edge of the ship and together they waited for the gang plank to be lowered.

"Aang, remember to practice every day!" Iroh advised lightly as Aang started his descent from the ship, "You goof off whenever I'm not around to push you."

His nephew's laughter reverberated in his ears. "For goodness' sake, Uncle!"

"And don't do anything foolish!" Iroh added in afterthought.

"Uncle Iroh, relax!" Aang called back, his wide grin evident even in the darkness and distance between them, "It'll be okay! This is me, remember?"

"Yes," his uncle sighed to himself in a mixture of affection and exasperation, "that's just what I'm afraid of, nephew."


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Aang wondered vaguely as he hung on precariously to the flat, furry tail of the Avatar's ten ton sky bison if that was what his uncle had meant by not "doing anything foolish."

They'd really left him very little choice in the matter. By the time he'd crept up on them, they were already preparing to leave. A heavy snow had begun to fall and they wanted to leave before the storm worsened. The moment had been fraught with surprises for Aang and he'd learned two vital things while he spied on the group. The first thing had been confirmation of his suspicions that the two Water Tribe siblings _had _known the whereabouts of the Avatar. That discovery wasn't so much surprising as it was validating. And his Uncle Iroh had thought he was being paranoid…

However, his second discovery _was_ incredibly surprising. Far from the aged man he'd expected, the Avatar turned out to be a teenage boy, perhaps only a couple of years younger than himself. Here Aang had prepared himself for an ancient fount of wisdom, a calm, temperate mentor not unlike his uncle and yet instead he was faced with the reality of a teenage boy who wasn't even old enough to shave! Aang had been caught somewhere between shock, confusion and amusement over the realization. He'd even wondered if, perhaps, he was mistaken about the boy's identity. Yet, the longer he watched and listened to them, the more sure he became that he'd found the Avatar.

Only when they'd begun loading their belongings did Aang finally notice their mode of transportation. He'd almost yelped aloud. He had been faced with possibly the largest animal he had ever seen. As tall as two elephant-hippos with six, massive legs and two thick horns made of glistening ivory, the heretofore mythical sky bison had created quite a forbidding vision for Aang. He'd almost rethought the entire mission then and there.

Full of determination, nonetheless, Aang had been unwilling to allow fear to get the mastery over him. Therefore, when they started to take off for the skies, Aang did the only thing he could do. He jumped onto the bison's tail and held on for dear life. That decision proved to be short-sighted and unwise only a few minutes later when the bison began flailing its tail in an effort to fling Aang off.

"What's up with your bison?" Sokka demanded uneasily, clutching the edge of Appa's saddle as the mighty creature lurched and swayed through the air. "Is he sick or something?"

"I don't know what's wrong," Zuko answered, frowning his concern. After transferring the reins into his left hand, Zuko gently tunneled his right hand through Appa's fur in hopes of soothing him. "What is it, buddy?" he murmured softly, "Are you not feeling well? Not used to the extra weight?"

"Um…guys…" Katara called out in dumbfounded incredulity, "I think I might know what the problem is." She nodded meaningfully to where a terrified Aang was clutching desperately to the bison's thrashing tail. "We've got company," she announced needlessly.

"This guy is nuts," Sokka muttered under his breath.

"Would you…mind…landing this…thing…" Aang begged between petrifying pitches, "…Please…!"

When they finally landed, Aang literally kissed the ground in gratitude. Almost the moment he stood, however, he was unceremoniously flattened to the ground in a gusting blast of air. When he rolled upright and opened his eyes, he founded an enraged Airbender, hands knotted into shaking fists, glaring down at him. "Why are you following us?" Zuko demanded shortly.

Calmly rolling to his feet, Aang melted the remnants of snow and ice from his person, causing them to evaporate in a hissing puff of steam. "Well, if I'd introduced myself and asked to come along, it's not likely you would have agreed now is it?" he reasoned simply.

Sokka was in his face in an instant, so that they were standing nose to nose. "You think this is a joke?" he challenged.

"Who's joking?" Aang replied seriously, "I almost died a minute ago." When that failed to make any headway with the Water Tribe boy, he extended his hand. "I'm Aang, by the way. What's your name?"

Zuko flicked an incredulous glance from the Fire Nation prince's hand to his face and back again. "Are you crazy?"

Aang shrugged with a lopsided grin. "Nice to meet you 'Are you crazy,'" he joked, hoping jocularity would lighten the atmosphere, "Do you prefer being called 'Are you crazy' or do you just go by 'crazy'?"

Scowling with impatience, Zuko blinked at him. "What?"

"Hey, it's a weird name, but who am I to knock it?" His attempt at humor didn't even provoke even a cracking smile. The three teens merely stared at him as if he'd just sprouted a second head. "Er…ah…I guess you three aren't a joking sort of crowd, huh?" he mumbled sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded again.

"I heard you guys talking before," Aang replied, "I know that you're going to the North Pole to find a waterbending master. I'd like to go with you…maybe teach you firebending when the time comes."

"Wow…you _are_ crazy," Zuko determined shortly. "Stay off my bison, you freak," he warned with a scornful glare, "Next time I'll let you fall!"

"Wait!" Aang cried as they turned to walk away. They stopped, but didn't do him the courtesy of turning back to face him. "Do you really think I did all this just so I could trick you? Despite what you think, I'm not your enemy!"

"We don't care who you are," Sokka retorted, "Just stay away from us."

As Zuko and Sokka started to ascend Appa, however, Katara found herself lingering inexplicably. There was something about the boy that was undeniably compelling. Even as she was swamped with wariness just being in his presence, she could not banish the instinctual knowledge that he was being absolutely sincere. Perhaps it was his mild demeanor that intrigued her, the irrefutable realization that no matter how many times they attacked him or how brutally they mistreated him, he never retaliated. Or perhaps it was his unbelievable audacity and determination that incurred her respect. He had gone as far as _risking his life_ just to get them to listen to him. That _had_ to mean something.

"Sokka, wait…" she sighed almost reluctantly, her eyes glued on Aang the entire time, "Maybe…maybe we should hear what he has to say."

"Hear what he has to say?" Sokka echoed stridently, plainly horrified by the suggestion, "Katara, stop talking nonsense and get on the bison!"

"He wants to help us," Katara argued.

"Oh now he wants to help?" Zuko snorted bitterly, "Where was his help when my people were being slaughtered? Where was his help when the Waterbenders were being stolen from your village?"

"Zuko, that was a hundred years ago…that was before he was even born…" Katara pointed out gently, mindful of the fact that, to Zuko, it was just as if it had happened yesterday. She transferred her compassionate gaze from Zuko to Aang. "It's not his fault," she concluded softly.

"Maybe it's not his fault specifically," Sokka conceded, "but he was raised by the people responsible. Who's to say he doesn't _think_ like them…_act_ like them?"

"He's here," Katara pointed out simply. "He's not with them, Sokka. He's with us."

"But I don't want him here," Zuko interjected bitterly, his eyes alive with the sheen of angry tears, "I can't have him near me, Katara! I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that my people are gone because of _his_ people, because of _his_ family! How could I possibly stand looking at his face every day knowing that, let alone accepting him as my firebending instructor? I can't do that."

"He's not his family, Zuko," Katara reasoned thickly.

The young Avatar closed his eyes, clearly struggling with knowing that truth in his head and knowing it in his heart. When he opened his eyes again, tears were streaming down his cheeks, but his features were stony and obstinately resolved. "I know I should forgive you," he told Aang thickly, "It's how I was raised. It's what I believe and part of me wants to. But another part of me _hates_ you so much and I can't… I just can't."

"I understand," Aang accepted gruffly, emotionally eviscerated by Zuko's candid revelation. "I…I never meant to cause you pain or unhappiness. I'll stay away if that's what you want."

"That's what I want," Zuko confirmed. An awkward silence meandered between them, filling up the empty space between the whistling sounds of the wind and snow swirling around them. Finally, Zuko said, "There's a storm coming. Can you find your way back to their village?"

As far as Aang knew, he was in the middle of a frozen wasteland with no clear idea what direction he'd come from or what direction he should head in. Still, despite the grim reality, he nodded anyway. "I can find my way back just fine," he lied.

"Then it's settled," Sokka declared with an exasperated sigh, "We don't need to talk about this anymore." He looked squarely at his sister. "It's over now. Let's go, Katara."

Full of misgivings and absolutely certain Zuko was making the wrong choice; Katara halfheartedly obeyed her brother and climbed onto Appa's back. When she was secure in the saddle, she turned aside and cast one last look at Aang where he stood below them. His topknot had come loose long ago and his unruly, dark hair whipped wildly against his face, half concealing his scar. In that moment, he seemed incredibly young to Katara, alone and bereft, as lost as they were. Her heart ached for him.

As they ascended above the storm, Katara watched him until he was finally swallowed by the swirling snow, blotted out by the storm. "We shouldn't have left him behind," she muttered mournfully.

"He's a big boy," Sokka said, "He can take care of himself."

"I don't think he'll be able to find his way back," Katara remarked worriedly, "The storm is getting bad."

"Not our problem," Sokka dismissed, "Keep flying, Zuko."

"We can't just leave him!" Katara maintained angrily.

"But we _are_," Sokka retorted obnoxiously.

Realizing that she was getting absolutely nowhere attempting to reason with Sokka, Katara decided to try her hand at softening Zuko instead. "Zuko, you know this storm is getting worse," she informed him needlessly. "He could die out there. Do you really want that on your conscience?" Though Zuko said nothing in response to that, the subtle stiffening of his shoulders alerted Katara to the fact that she was getting to him. "No one is saying you have to trust him," she cajoled gently, "but don't leave him out there to die."

"Zuko, don't listen to her!" Sokka cut in, elbowing Katara aside, "She's just falling for his big, gray eye! No one asked that kid to stow away on your bison! It's his own stupid fault he got trapped out here in the first place! It's not your responsibility!" He and Katara traded death glares with each other, mentally and physically grappling with each other for Zuko's ear. "Ultimately, no matter what Katara says, it's your choice," Sokka insisted, rolling away from his sister before she could do him serious bodily harm. "Do what you think is right."

After an interminable amount of silence, Zuko finally emitted a frustrated growl and gave Appa's reins a sharp tug, abruptly reversing their course to head back in the direction from which they'd come. Sokka groaned his dissatisfaction over the decision while Katara smiled her approval.

"I'm really proud of you, Zuko," she commended him; "You're doing the right thing."

"Whatever," Zuko grunted in unenthusiastic response.

He knew, without a doubt, that he was doing the right thing. He simply didn't know how he felt about it. Part of him felt compelled to go back for the Fire Nation prince based solely on the teachings on which he'd been raised. The monks had always taught him that rage and hatred poisoned a person from within. Forgiveness was salvation, not only for the one being forgiven, but also for the person extending the forgiveness. Zuko had never questioned the validity of that teaching before. He had never once doubted that it was good and true. Then again, he considered rather grimly, he'd never had to test it before either.

Until very recently, the worst thing that had ever happened to him was being shunned by his peers after it had been made known that he was the Avatar. Forgiving their youthful mistreatment of him had been relatively easy. After all, he'd had little more than hurt feelings to contend with back then. Furthermore, Gyatso had reminded him that it was human nature to fear the unknown. He had assured Zuko that, with time, the younger monks would come around and would accept him. That prospect had made it far easier for him to deal with his peers' inadvertent avoidance and easier to forgive them when they hurt his feelings.

However, forgiving the complete annihilation of his people was something else entirely. Zuko could hardly wrap his mind around it at all. There was still an odd surrealism to the knowledge. He knew the truth intellectually, but his heart hadn't processed the magnitude of it at all…perhaps because his heart couldn't bear the magnitude of it.

He had lost, not only his people, but his way of life, his culture, the only home he'd ever known and even his place in the stream of time and all while he'd been asleep. It seemed to him as if the world had changed irrevocably overnight. He felt lost and afraid and alone. All he had left were the clothes on his back, his beloved bison, and two bickering Water Tribe siblings that he had only met a day before. He was literally starting his entire life over at age thirteen.

And that depressing reality had come to pass because of one family's unquenchable thirst for power. The idea that he was now supposed to put his trust and, perhaps, even offer his friendship to a member of that family galled Zuko deeply. It actually made him feel physically ill.

Zuko didn't know if he was strong enough to endure it. He also didn't know if he wanted to find out.

****

Aang trudged aimlessly through the crunching snow, shivering uncontrollably and berating himself for a complete fool. Not only had he ruined any chance he had of befriending the Avatar, but he'd also managed to get himself stranded out in the middle of the frozen wilderness. It had only been a few hours since he'd left his uncle and already Aang found himself up to his neck in trial and trouble.

"I am such an idiot," he growled to himself self-deprecatingly, "I shouldn't have been so pushy. Maybe if I'd tried to reason with him more instead of scaring his bison… No, instead, I was all, 'Oh yeah, I totally know my way around the frozen wasteland that is the South Pole! Please, leave me here in the middle of nowhere!' What was I thinking?" He growled again, his frustration with himself mounting anew.

However, he had been understandably thrown off balance. For Aang, it had been the first time he'd ever really contemplated the full weight of the destruction, both emotional and physical, his family had released on the world. He knew it factually and historically and he'd even seen the evidence with his own eyes. But he was only now coming to realize that the damage done wasn't merely cosmetic.

His great grandfather, Firelord Sozin, had been the one to execute the order to have all the Air Nomads exterminated. As children, he and his sister had been taught that the order had been given because the Airbenders had proven a threat to Sozin. They had, but not in the way most of the Fire Nation believed. Aang's Uncle Iroh had set him straight on that truth only a few weeks after they'd left home.

So he knew that his great grandfather had done a bad thing, just as he knew that his grandfather had done a bad thing by ordering the extermination of the Waterbenders in hopes that, if the Avatar had been reincarnated into the Water cycle, he would be destroyed. Aang's father, in keeping with _his_ father's wishes, had then turned his attention to subduing the Northern Water Tribe and Earth Kingdoms. It had been expected that Aang would carry on the family battle and that, under his reign, the world would finally bow to the Fire Nation as a whole. Aang had known absolutely that he wanted no part of it. For that reason, he had never regretted leaving home.

Seeing the results with his own eyes had only solidified his resolve. He felt sickened and disheartened by the hurt and disillusionment his family had dealt. His long held hope that he would, somehow, gain the Avatar's respect and aid him in bringing an end to the war now seemed little more than a childish fantasy. He had never contemplated how the Avatar himself would be one of the very people scarred deeply by his family's actions. After seeing the hatred and disgust that had been directed at him from Zuko's eyes, Aang seriously doubted he would ever gain the Avatar's friendship, let alone his trust and respect.

With a heavy heart, Aang realized he was back where he started, only this time he didn't even have his uncle as a constant. He was lost in every sense of the word. So much for nobility, he snorted to himself. His father had always warned him that his soft heart would not take him far. Aang absolutely balked at the idea that his father might have been right about that. Unfortunately, his desire to give the Avatar his space had not landed Aang in a favorable position.

The brutal fact of it was that he was stranded in a snowy desert in the middle of the night, freezing his butt off with absolutely no idea where he was or where he was going. His breath of fire, a technique his uncle had taught him in order to raise his body temperature, could only provide him with so much warmth. He had to use it sparingly because, to maintain it, required a great reserve of strength better used for getting himself out of the freezing wilderness.

But all those grim indignities Aang would have happily endured if it were not for one inarguable fact: he was starving! As if to remind him of the magnitude of the situation, his rebellious stomach growled painfully for effect. "Well, thanks a lot," Aang mumbled, "At least it can't get much worse."

That comment was met with yet another low growl, but this time the sound did not come from his stomach. Every muscle in Aang's body instantly tensed. His breath caught in his chest in a painful wheeze. "Please, please, please, please, please…" he whispered in prayerful litany as he pivoted slowly on his heel, hoping not to find what he expected he would.

At first, his vision was limited, obscured by swirling snow and murky darkness. And then he saw the ominous, glowing pair of canine eyes, followed by another and another and another… Aang tripped backwards several, terrified steps as the full magnitude of his situation dawned on him.

"Nice doggies…good doggies," he soothed shakily as the large pack of eight porcupine-wolves closed ranks around him, their teeth bared hungrily. "You don't want to eat me. Beneath these clothes, I'm not much of a meal. Trust me."

The porcupine-wolves seemed to have little trouble with that, however. Their teeth, as white as their quill-covered bodies, glinted menacingly in the darkness. Their nostrils flared in feral delight in tandem with the flash of the tapered spikes beneath their thick, glistening fur. If they'd had lips, they likely would have licked them in anticipation. Obviously, they had been stalking him for quite some time. They had blended in so perfectly with the snowy terrain that Aang hadn't even realized he was in danger until they were upon him and ready to pounce.

Adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream, Aang banked twin flames within the centers of his palms, readying himself for the moment when they would fall upon him. The moment the alpha male sprung forward, Aang whipped out a blazing ring, startling the dogs with the sudden burst of heat and singing the paws of the alpha male. He fell back with a yelping whimper, his retreat mimicked by the other dogs. They didn't disperse altogether, however, but continued to stalk the perimeter of Aang's fire circle.

"You didn't think I'd make it easy, did you?" Aang taunted.

But he could tell from the keen glaze in the alpha male's eyes that he wasn't going to give up. He was a discerning porcupine-wolf and Aang knew he was devising a plan to get beyond the ring. Aang intensified the flames, causing them to retreat a few feet further, but that was all.

He was resolving himself to becoming the hardest meal those wolves had ever worked for when the Avatar's bison suddenly descended, planting his massive body between Aang and the hungry wolf pack. Shocked by their arrival, Aang dropped his cover and stared up at the Avatar in speechless disbelief.

"Well?" Zuko prodded impatiently, "Are you gonna climb on or what?"

Aang literally took a single step forward and unbridled chaos ensued. In unison, the wolf pack arched their backs and shot forth a bevy of paralyzing barbs from their bodies. Several dozen embedded themselves in Appa's thick fur, causing him to buck and yelp in surprised agony. Zuko, Sokka and Katara were thrown so swiftly they didn't even have time to yell in reaction. They landed hard on the ground, momentarily disoriented. The wolves took advantage of their confusion and quickly descended.

Without thinking, Aang ran to place himself between them and the wolves, shooting out a line of fire from his fingertips and creating a blazing demarcation between hunters and hunted. Sokka, Katara and Zuko crouched together, trembling and terrified. Katara scowled at Aang, dismayed and frustrated.

"Do you always cause this much trouble?" she cried.

Aang turned briefly and flashed a grin. "Only since I met you."

Sokka pinned him with a narrowed glare at the subtle flirting. "Not on your life, fire boy," he warned flatly.

Katara barely paid them any attention, however. Her eyes were trained on the numerous wolves surrounding them. "Is this fire wall really going to hold them back?" she fretted.

"It should," Sokka reassured her with a calmness he didn't necessarily feel, "There's no way they'll attempt to breech this wall unless they're super hungry." No sooner had he voiced the words than the alpha male charged forward, attempting to do just that. The four teens gasped their terror at his bold move, but the wolf succeeded in only burning himself. Sokka regarded his horrified sister with a sheepish smile. "Well…I guess he's super hungry then."

"This is insane! We can't stay here forever!" Zuko cried in frustration, "I'm sick of crouching in the snow! Appa's still out there and he's completely helpless!"

"He's still got some fight in him," Aang remarked as Appa's feral growling kept the wolves skidding and retreating with terrified yelps. "Besides, he's too big for them. Even injured, they're afraid to take him on. They'll give up eventually. We just need to wait them out."

Meanwhile, despite his failure the first two times, the pack leader tried several more times, unsuccessfully, to barrel his way past Aang's flaming wall. The smell of his scorched flesh wafted around them. With each failure, however, he seemed to grow more incensed, more determined. He growled at Aang through the crackling inferno, circling again and again in hopes of finding an opening.

"It seems like he has his sights set on you," Sokka remarked to Aang rather dryly.

"I guess…" Aang acknowledged.

Sokka flicked a glance between Katara and Zuko. "I say we throw him to the wolves and while they're making a meal of him, we beat a hasty retreat."

"That's a brilliant plan, Sokka," Katara deadpanned, "There's only one, vital flaw. You see, he's the reason why those wolves haven't ripped our throats out yet. You know…wall of fire."

"Oh…that's right," Sokka replied despondently. He offered a sour-faced Aang an over-bright smile with two thumbs up. "Keep doing what you're doing then."

"I think he's starting to get tired," Aang observed, noting that the wolf had stopped his determined pacing and had, instead, begun trading howls with his fellow pack members. "This is it. They're finally going to leave," he sighed in relief.

"Um…I don't think they are," Katara refuted slowly, her eyes widening as the porcupine-wolves fell together and began converging on Appa.

"No…" Zuko gasped softly.

His gasp became a scream of absolute horror as the wolves fell on Appa simultaneously. Everything became a blur for Aang after that. Zuko pushed past him in an instant, blasting forth a gust of wind that toppled the wolves off his bison and destroyed Aang's wall of fire in the process. The second the orange firelight died out, the wolves immediately regrouped and came charging.

Left with little choice, Aang scrambled after Zuko, who was already making a run for Appa with Sokka and Katara in hot pursuit. Aang was hoping that he'd had the opportunity to throw a wall of protection around them all before the wolves descended, but they were too quick. As one made a running dive at Zuko, Aang planted himself between them, biting back his reactive cry of pain when the wolf's teeth sank into his forearm and his heavy body slammed into Aang with enough force to take both prince and Avatar to the ground.

The remaining wolves set their sights on Katara and Sokka. Terrified screams echoed in the darkness as the teens grappled for their lives. The situation appeared bleak, but then a brilliant light flashed up through the night sky, so sudden and powerful that it sent the pack scrambling anew. Aang was abruptly blown from atop of Zuko from the surge of raw power. The young Avatar's body began to levitate several feet in the air. His eyes glowed with an earthly light and his features were a mask of righteous anger.

Without warning, the snow and ice began to spin and swirl around them in a punishing cylinder, commanded by the swirling motions of the incensed Avatar's arms. Suspecting that Zuko had inadvertently triggered some kind of Avatar power source, Katara tried, unsuccessfully, to talk Zuko down by reassuring him that they were all okay. But it became quickly apparently that he was beyond all reason.

Reacting on pure instinct and knowing they had little choice but to get out of the way or be flattened, Aang, Sokka and Katara scurried for the safety of Appa's underbelly as Zuko prepared to lay waste. The fearful howls of the wolves were drowned out in a cacophony of air as they were swept up into the churning tide, their bodies being rotated with fearsome speed. Seconds later, the entire pack sucked down through the snowy column and beneath the ground. The ice encrusted terrain closed over them and Zuko finally sank back to the ground, the unearthly light fading from his eyes at last. He slumped to the ground.

"Zuko! Are you okay?" Katara cried as she made a mad dash to his side.

"Appa…" he grunted, batting away her attempts to cradle him, "Stop it! I'm fine, Katara! Is _Appa_ okay?"

"Appa's just fine," Sokka reassured him. "What's up with you? What was that a minute ago?"

"I…I don't know," Zuko replied numbly, shoving to his feet. "I don't know what that was, but it was scary."

"Yeah, for us too," Sokka agreed shakily.

"It was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen," Katara whispered, "It…it was like you couldn't even hear us."

Trembling over her words, especially because his recollection of the events was intensely vague, Zuko tried to shrug off the incident and his horrifying actions by turning his attention to Aang. "You saved my life," he remarked simply.

Aang snorted a short laugh. "Obviously, you didn't need my help," he said, "It's pretty evident you can take care of yourself."

"Yeah, well…thank you anyway," Zuko replied gruffly. "You could have let me die and…and you didn't. That says something, you know?"

"Well, you saved me first. Besides, you came back for me and you didn't have to," Aang reasoned. "It was the least I could do."

"Aang, you're bleeding!" Katara gasped suddenly, noting the small drops of crimson that dotted the snow at his feet. She was already running forward to inspect his wound before he could get a word in edgewise. "It's not deep," she observed briskly, "but it will need to be cleaned thoroughly. I'll take care of it for you."

Aang regarded her with a faint smile of gratitude. "Thank you…Katara."

She smiled back, the first smile any in the group had given him. "No problem."

Rolling his eyes over the scene, Sokka declared abruptly, "We'll set up camp here tonight. It's late and Appa is in no shape to travel. It'll be a few hours before the toxin from the porcupine barbs wear off. And it's not like we have to worry about the wolves anymore because they're…you know…dead."

Katara hissed at her brother for his unbridled insensitivity, but when she glanced over at Zuko for his reaction, she found his countenance a stony mask. While his stomach had lurched sickeningly at the reminder of what had happened and he was positively drowning in guilt over it, Zuko didn't reveal any hint of the internal struggle going on within him. He had just betrayed one of the greatest lessons in life the monks had ever taught him: respect life. Zuko felt as if he were being crushed beneath the weight of his own actions, actions he hadn't even been able to fully control.

Sensing Zuko was preoccupied, but not knowing the reason, Aang studied him warily; both anxious and afraid to know where they would go from there. "So what happens in the morning?" he wondered softly.

"Tomorrow we go to the Southern Air Temple," Zuko answered. "I need some answers and that's probably the only place where I'll find them."

"What about me?" Aang asked. "Am I going with you or is this it?"

"You should let him come with us, Zuko," Katara urged quietly, "I think he's earned the right, don't you?"

Rather than answering right away, Zuko glanced over to Sokka for his opinion. If anyone was likely to be opposed to the Fire Nation prince staying, it would be him, but the older boy merely shrugged. "I'm not saying you should trust him," Sokka prefaced, "but he seems pretty handy to keep around."

With both of his newfound friends endorsing the idea, Zuko felt compelled not to arbitrarily refuse Aang's request. Full of indecision, fear, anger and regret, he turned his gaze back towards Aang and regarded the other boy with inscrutable silence. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally sighed and said, "I guess it's settled then. You're coming with us."


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter** **Five**

The spire tip of the Southern Air Temple peeked majestically through the clouds like a gleaming jewel set in a bed of rumpled, white satin. As Zuko brought Appa in for a landing, the bison's passengers were afforded with a fuller view of the temple that was nothing less than spectacular. Sokka, Katara and Aang all caught their breaths in awed wonderment.

"Here it is," Zuko announced with a mixture of nostalgia and regret as he circled Appa down, "This is my home." He reached out to pet Appa's head, sucking in a fortifying breath as he did. He noted the curling vines weaving their spiny fingers up the outside of the crumbling stone with a despondent sigh. If he'd ever had any doubt before that moment that the temple was abandoned, those illusions were quickly washed away with the sight that greeted him. "We're finally home, boy," he whispered again.

Aang emitted a low whistle of appreciation as they came to a stop, hopping to his feet even before Appa had settled completely. "Wow…" he breathed excitedly, "…if it's this amazing on the outside, I can't wait to see what it looks like on the inside!" However, his attempt to dismount and begin that exploration was halted when Zuko suddenly floated in his path and planted a hand squarely in the center of his chest. Aang regarded him with a questioning look. "What gives?"

"You're not going inside," Zuko stated implacably.

"What?"

"Until this moment, only Air Nomads were allowed within the walls of the temples," Zuko told him, "The fact that there are…_outsiders_ here now…" He clamped his jaw tight, mentally searching for the best way to explain himself without offending and, possibly, alienating Sokka and Katara, who were presently staring at him with visible discomfort. "Listen, it's just a big deal that you're all here right now," he sighed finally, "I don't take it lightly. None of us should."

"Do you not want us to come with you, Zuko?" Katara wondered softly, careful to keep the hurt out of her tone when she asked.

"We can hang back if you need to do this alone," Sokka reassured him.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all," Zuko replied swiftly, his words honest and resolved, "I want you to come with me. I don't have a problem with you guys." However, when he turned his gaze back towards Aang, his eyes hardened considerably. "I have a problem with _you_."

Aang quelled the desire to roll his eyes in exasperation. "Hey, I thought we settled this last—,"

"We haven't settled anything!" Zuko interrupted coldly, "Let's get something straight right now! You're here because I know I'll eventually need a firebending teacher and it saves me the hassle of having to find one when the time comes. But, we're not friends or anything, so don't delude yourself! This is just a business arrangement."

"Um…okay…" Aang accepted evenly.

"Second of all," Zuko continued, "This temple is a holy place. The fact that you're standing here after what your people did is practically sacrilegious in my opinion! In fact, your presence alone profanes this place!" The words were unforgiving and blunt, so much so that Katara and Sokka quickly dismounted and set up a casual whistling as they pretended not to know that, less than ten feet above their heads, Zuko was ripping Aang a new one.

"You don't belong here," the Avatar continued coldly, "I don't want you here, but I'll accept that our paths have crossed for a reason and, for that alone, I'll put up with you. But you are not stepping foot inside that temple!" He raked Aang with a decisive glower. "You will _never_ step foot inside of it. Is that understood?"

"Understood," Aang agreed softly.

Satisfied that he'd made his point, Zuko finally relaxed his stance, nodded and fell back a step. "Stay out here and keep Appa company," he ordered before turning to join his friends below. He favored Aang with a cursory glance. "Feel free to help yourself to the food in the saddlebags."

"Not my food!" Sokka clarified loudly.

A few minutes later, Aang dismounted and watched the three disappear into the murky recesses of the Air Temple with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was glad that they were allowing him to travel with them, especially when it was glaringly obvious they still didn't trust him. On the other hand, however, he was saddened and frustrated to realize that he was still an outsider among them in spite of that. And, considering the circumstances, he likely would be for a long time.

He sighed heavily in acceptance of that, only to be surprised a few seconds later when Appa's tongue suddenly lumbered out and drenched his body in a slobbery lick. Delighted by the unprecedented show of affection, Aang grinned at him. "Well, well, well…I guess that means _you_ like me." Appa responded with a noncommittal bellow, betraying nothing. Aang, however, was not fooled. "Don't worry," he whispered, giving the bison a tentative pat, "you'll get used to it."

Once they entered what used to be a garden courtyard and Katara was sure they were well out of Aang's earshot, she snagged hold of Zuko's sleeve and asked, "Don't you think you were kind of harsh with him before?"

"Not harsh," Zuko responded tersely, "just honest."

"Okay, you were harshly honest then," she conceded with mild sarcasm. "You're still treating him like he's an outsider."

"That's because he _is_ an outsider, Katara," Sokka interjected bluntly. "Everything Zuko said before was absolutely true. Yeah, he had our backs last night when the chips were down, but he was saving his own butt as much as ours. That doesn't change who he is, Katara. He's still Fire Nation."

"I'm not ready to trust him," Zuko said when Katara opened her mouth to argue that point, "Not yet. I'd appreciate it if you didn't give me a hard time about it."

Though her first instinct was to do exactly that because she knew the resentment he harbored wasn't good for him or Aang, Katara checked the impulse and wisely took into account how far Zuko had come already. It was no secret that he was still struggling with his new reality, even if he didn't verbalize his inner pain. Katara suspected he was drowning emotionally. So much had changed for him so quickly and in, what seemed to him, an incredibly short period of time. She also knew that he would have to come to term with his feelings in his own way and in his own time.

She could hardly blame him for being bitter either. Six years had passed since her mother had died in a Fire Nation raid and her grief and rage over it had yet to abate. Katara figured that if she still hadn't gotten over the way her mother died, how could she expect Zuko to get over how his people had perished, especially when the reminder was literally staring him in the face now? She felt sorry for Aang being wedged in the middle of it all and having to bear the brunt of Zuko's antagonism because of his family's sins, but her heart was mostly breaking for Zuko. Katara felt compelled to shield and protect him, even as it seemed Zuko had little need of her protection.

Yet, in spite of Zuko's peculiar inability to connect emotionally, Katara well knew that he was grateful for her and Sokka's company, even if he didn't say so. She knew that he needed them. And because she knew that, Katara's priority, above all else, was keeping Zuko safe and guaranteeing that he learned all the bending disciplines. She would support Zuko through whatever he needed to do in order to accomplish that. If, at present, he didn't want to deal with Aang in order to get through his grief, Katara wasn't going to question him.

"Okay, I won't give you a hard time," she relented finally. "So now what?"

Grateful that the fight he'd anticipated having with Katara did not come to pass, Zuko relaxed a bit. "Well…I thought we would explore the temple a bit."

"Um, explore what exactly?" Sokka asked bluntly. "I know you said you wanted to come here because you needed answers, but who are you planning to ask? This place is deserted, Zuko."

"Well, it's not completely deserted…" Zuko hedged as he drifted over to a moss covered statue in the middle of the courtyard. "This is Gyatso," he said, gesturing in grand introduction to the stony effigy, "He's my mentor, my teacher and probably my best friend. He taught me everything I know about airbending. I'm going to be as good as him someday." His rare, glimmering smile abruptly faded with a new, sobering thought. "I guess I should say he _was_ all those things."

"Don't you want to be sure about that?" Katara prodded.

Zuko pinned her with a sharp look of surprise, caught somewhere between hope and anger at her question. "I thought I _was_ sure," he retorted tightly, his temper flaring a bit, "I mean, isn't that what you've been telling me this entire time?"

He was upset and justifiably so. For the last two days, Katara and Sokka had been drilling home the grim reality that he was the last Airbender. Now that he was finally reaching a point where he could accept that depressing truth, they were backpedalling and telling him there might be hope? Zuko wanted to yell at them both because he felt like they were jerking him around. He almost did, but when he opened his mouth to let loose he found Gyatso's likeness watching him in stoic judgment and he checked the impulse.

Nonetheless, when he spoke again, his words were clipped with irritation. "You and Sokka said there was no chance," he reminded Katara impatiently, "What are you saying now? Do you think you were wrong?"

"No, I don't think I was wrong. It's been a hundred years and no one's seen an Airbender in all that time. I think your people are gone, Zuko, but that's just what _I_ believe," she emphasized gently, "The question is…what do you believe? It's one thing for me to tell you. It's another for you to accept it for yourself."

Zuko's shoulders slumped forward, the angry bluster dying out as suddenly as it had blazed. "What's the point?" he mumbled to himself, "Sokka's right. The Temple is obviously deserted. We've seen the evidence of what happened here all around us. The only way anyone could have survived the Fire Nation raid is if…" He trailed off abruptly; hope suddenly flaring bright in his eyes. "The Temple Sanctuary," he considered aloud in a moment of dawned clarity, "Gyatso told me that when I was old enough, I'd be able to find the answers to my questions about being the Avatar there. He said there would be someone waiting there to help me."

"Zuko, I don't want to shoot you down, but…it's been over a hundred years," Sokka reminded him rather needlessly, "Wouldn't they be like…dead…by now?"

Katara landed a sharp smack to the back of his head for his thoughtless candor. "What is wrong with you?"

"No, the Sanctuary is different, Sokka," Zuko argued. "Not just anyone can enter it. You'll see."

He led them into the heart of the Temple, to a narrow corridor with a large, wooden door at the end of it. On the façade of the door was the Air Nation insignia, encircled with what looked like a tsungi horn. There didn't appear to be a handle on the door at all and it was sealed tightly so there seemed to be no visible way at all of opening it at all. Sokka flicked Zuko an unimpressed glance.

"So I don't suppose you know the magic word to open this thing, huh?" he asked dryly.

"Actually, I do," Zuko replied cockily. He made a gesture for room. "You two might want to stand back," he advised.

Planting his feet firmly apart, Zuko assumed his stance and closed his eyes. He inhaled a deep breath and thrust forward his hands, releasing a streaming column of wind from his palms into the bell shaped end of the horn shaped wreathe. The horn blared with a low, musical note and, without warning or fanfare, simply opened. Zuko stood back with a satisfied look, intensely pleased with himself. But he only took a few seconds to pat himself on the back, before he was pulling his friends inside after him with an impatient, "Let's go!"

Unfortunately, his hope that he would find someone there died quickly after his reverberating cries of "hello" were met with equally echoing silence. The room was entirely empty with no visible signs that anyone had ever lived there. Save for himself and his friends, a heavy layer of dust and the expressionless sculptures lining the walls clear up to the ceiling, the room was virtually lifeless.

As Zuko silently mourned that fact, Katara and Sokka twirled the stone floor together, back to back, mouths agape. "Oh wow…" Katara breathed in astonishment, "What is this place?"

"And what's with all the statues?" Sokka followed up.

"They're my past lives," Zuko stated definitively. He had absolutely no idea how he knew that with such certainty, but he did. He knew the marble faces surrounding him as well as he knew his own because…their faces were his face too. They were all _him_.

"Your past lives?" Sokka echoed with an air of disbelief. He stepped forward to inspect one particular monument in scrutinizing detail, eyes narrowed. What he found left him grimacing in distaste. "You were a Firebender in your past life?" he balked incredulously.

"Yeah," Zuko confirmed, a little dazed and overwhelmed, "I guess I was."

Katara locked in on yet another. It was the statue at the very end of the line. "Who's this one, Zuko?"

He came to stand before the figure she'd indicated and stared up at the intricately carved façade, feeling an undeniable connection as he did. The recognition he felt was both strangely comforting and dismaying all at once. "This is Avatar Roku," he explained to Katara vaguely, "He was the Avatar before me."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Katara whispered in awe.

"I just do," Zuko answered.

"So wait a minute," Sokka interrupted with a scowl, "You were _two_ Firebenders? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met!"

"I've been hundreds of Firebenders, Sokka," Zuko replied softly, "and Waterbenders and Earthbenders and Airbenders. I've lived thousands of lives for thousands of years…"

"Seriously?" Sokka queried more than a little dubiously.

"No, he's right, Sokka," Katara insisted excitedly, "Look how these statues are aligned. It's the Avatar Cycle. First air, then water, then earth, then fire and then air again."

"So you used to be a Waterbender, huh? Whoohoo!" Sokka cheered as he climbed the winding staircase along the wall for closer examination, "Represent Water Tribe!" Katara shook her head in laughing chagrin, following after him.

As she and Sokka stumbled deeper into the sanctuary to check out for themselves the alabaster visages of the numerous Avatars past, Zuko remained rooted in place, inexplicably transfixed before Roku's image, unable to look away. The statue's eyes gleamed briefly, a flashing incandescence that was then mimicked in Zuko's own eyes. He might have lingered in that hypnotic state for some time had Sokka's sudden, excited yell not shaken him from his stupor.

"What? What is it?" he asked, shaking off the remaining vestiges of weirdness. He tipped up to his to where Sokka stood on one of the higher landings, leaning halfway out of the window situated there.

"Zuko, you need to come up here right now!" Sokka urged him, "I think I see something moving down there!"

****

Aang was bored out of his mind.

Unfortunately for him, the Avatar's bison wasn't much for company. Not that it would have mattered if he had been. Aang's natural curiosity was threatening to get the best of him.

When he left home after his Agni Kai with his father, the first place Aang had stopped to look for clues on the whereabouts of the Avatar was the Western Air Temple. Situated on the underside of a cliff and built entirely upside down, its gravity-defying architecture had been one of the most beautiful things Aang had ever seen. He had literally fallen in love with it. The other Air Temples had proven treacherous and nearly inaccessible due to their high and often hidden perches on the mountaintops. Aang had never been privileged to see another…until now.

And he couldn't go inside.

The reality was a disappointing one. Even if he did find Zuko's insistence on it unreasonable and arbitrary, and he most certainly did, Aang still knew he needed to respect the Avatar's wishes and keep his distance. He was determined not to go where he wasn't wanted.

Being so thoroughly disliked was a new thing for Aang. Prior to that point in his life, he'd never had an issue with making friends before. Even when people were naturally put off by his scar and even sometimes his nationality, Aang had always managed to charm his way past their unease. No one had ever really _hated_ him before, at least not after they had gotten to know him. The Avatar, however, seemed determined to despise him no matter what.

"I don't know what else I can do, Appa," Aang mumbled glumly to the bison, "Got any suggestions?" Appa emitted a low bellow, clearly at a loss. "Yeah, that's what I thought." The mighty bison turned his head to nuzzle Aang gently, as if to say, "Hang in there, kid." If nothing else, he made Aang laugh.

Encouraged by Appa's unquestioning acceptance and hopeful that things would get better after all, Aang reached inside one of the saddlebags and pulled free a bag of berries. He munched on them absently; his thoughts still a muddled jumble, when he caught sight of something scurrying in his peripheral vision. Muscles tensed for trouble, Aang slowly turned his head and discovered a small lemur seated less than six feet away and watching him with intense green eyes. He wilted forward with a low, self-deprecating laugh.

"Hey there, little fellow," Aang greeted, favoring the animal with a disarming smile. He jiggled his bag of berries, noting how the lemur's eyes gleamed in response. "Are you hungry? Is that it?" He plucked a handful of berries from the bag and placed them in the center of his palm. "Do you want some?"

Obviously calculating the wisdom of taking the offer, the lemur eventually darted forth, furtively snatched the fruity bounty from Aang's hand and then darted to safety again. "You want some more?" Aang offered when the first handful was gobbled down with lightening speed. Ever guarded, the lemur carefully dashed forward, grabbed the berries and then retreated. The routine was repeated a few times more with the lemur progressively closing the distance between he and Aang with each new foray.

Certain he had made a new friend, Aang reached out to pet the lemur when he was close enough only to have the wily monkey take advantage of his kindheartedness, snatch the bag of berries from his lap and take off for the temple. Appa lowered his head in empathetic shame.

"Hey! Come back here!" Aang cried, already on his feet and scrambling after the furry thief, "That's my lunch, you little ingrate!"

****

"There's nothing down here," Zuko surmised mournfully.

"I could have sworn I saw something move," Sokka insisted. "It was right over there." He pointed to the dilapidated remains of a row of barracks a few yards away. There were absolutely no signs of life in that direction. There was nothing moving at all except for a graying, tattered tarp flapped heedlessly in the wind. Sokka growled his frustration as his claims were met with dubious skepticism. "I saw it!" he reiterated in affronted conviction.

"Are you sure that's not what you saw?" Katara pressed, indicating the tarp. "From a distance it could have looked like a person."

"No. What I saw was _white_, Katara," Sokka countered derisively, "I'm not crazy. I saw something moving around down here. I don't know if it was a person or not, but it was _something_."

"Maybe it went behind the tarp," Zuko suggested. "It can't hurt to check it out."

The moment Zuko pulled back the tattered hanging he irrevocably changed the course of his life. The first thing he saw was evidence of the Firebenders. But more than an hour of weaving in and out of the Temple rooms had already revealed as much. There had been few places within the Temple that the Fire Nation had not infiltrated. However, what caught his attention and knocked the breath from his lungs was not the remains of the many Firebenders littering the floor, but the skeletal remains in the center of all the decaying chaos.

He stumbled towards the remains, which were draped in faded rags of yellow and orange; only vaguely aware of Sokka and Katara hovering behind him, questioning what was wrong. He couldn't hear a word they said. Zuko felt as if he were in a vacuum. The stiff rush of his blood throbbed in his eardrums, making him feel lightheaded. His body heavy with dread and sorrow, he sank to his knees, swallowing down the acrid ball of bitter tears that rose in his throat. With a shaking hand, he reached out to touch the ornate necklace about the skeleton's neck, only all too familiar with it as Zuko had seen Gyatso wear it every day for as long as he could remember.

In his heart, Zuko had known the truth, but now he had brutal confirmation. Now he had seen with his own eyes and the pain was unbelievable. Gyatso was dead. The Firebenders had come and they had eradicated everything in their paths. His people were gone. He _was_ the last Airbender.

Zuko was barely aware of the comforting hand Sokka place on his shoulder. "Hey," the Water Tribe warrior whispered carefully, anxiously, "Are you okay?"

"Is…is that…Gyatso, Zuko?" Katara asked carefully.

Zuko didn't answer her. He wasn't even certain he could form the words to do so. It was in that moment of grief-stricken that the lemur came scrambling inside, followed closely by the Fire Nation prince. Needless to say, it was extremely bad timing.

The second Aang came face to face with Zuko, Katara and Sokka he skidded to a halt. "It's not what you're thinking!" he blurted quickly, but the explanation came too late for the Avatar's liking. For Zuko, it was the final indignity on a long list and it pushed him over the edge. His eyes suddenly came alive with an uncontrollable feral, white glow and when Sokka saw it he wisely fell back.

A violent wind began to kick up around Zuko, upsetting everything within the room with a violent quaking. Bones rattled. Walls cracked and split apart. Hundred year old pottery was dashed to pieces. The roof was blown off completely. Sokka instinctively grabbed hold of Katara's hand and went running for the exit as Zuko began to rise into the air. "You'd better get out of here right now!" he warned Aang direly on his way out.

But Aang's attempt at self-preservation came seconds too late. He was slammed through the adjacent wall and thrown out into temple square beyond before he could even turn to run. Zuko came to hover above him, his features dark with malignant hatred, but it wasn't the moody, taciturn boy he was growing accustomed to. This was a completely different Zuko, an unbridled, uncensored and thoroughly enraged one.

Aang knew he was in trouble. He quickly tried to regain his footing and make it to safety only to be blasted back to the ground with enough force to leave an indentation. His body exploded with the pain of jagged rock and uneven earth digging into his flesh, but he pushed past the sensation as he made a scrambling attempt to find refuge. But Zuko dogged his every retreat and there proved to be no place for him to hide.

Shaking with the urgency of the situation, Katara screamed at Zuko above the churning winds, trying again and again and again to reason with him, but it was as if he'd gone to another realm of existence and was far beyond her reach. The grief and pain and anger had taken over and consumed him, obliterating all reason in the process. He was on a singular mission to destroy and no amount of pleading would dissuade him.

Left with no choice, Katara sprang to her feet with every intention of running out and attempting to physically stop his rampage, but Sokka yanked her back before she'd barely even moved. "Don't even think about it," Sokka cried of the crashing cacophony of sound, "You'll be killed!"

"What about Aang?" Katara cried, "We can't leave him out there!"

Sokka flicked a glance out at the macabre scene unfolding, visibly conflicted and flinching with each slam Aang's body made into the ground. "Look, I don't like the kid, but that doesn't mean I want him to die."

"Then we need to _do_ something," Katara argued.

"There's nothing we _can_ do!"

While the Water Tribe siblings disagreed over the plan of action, Aang was desperately trying to hold off Zuko's unrelenting attack. Ducking and dodging had proved thoroughly useless as Zuko was more skilled at evasion than he was. Finally, his temper and aggravation got the better of him and Aang rocketed off a few haphazard fireballs in the hopes of snapping the violently enraged Avatar back to reality. It was absolutely the _wrong_ thing to do and he knew it almost immediately.

Wisely, Aang clambered to his feet and turned to run, but found himself completely lifted from the ground, as if snatched up by invisible hands. He was then flipped mid-air and yanked forward, so that he was dangling mere feet from Zuko. That's when he first began to feel it…the subtle sensation of oxygen literally being squeezed from his lungs. Aang gasped for breath, clutching fruitlessly at his throat, desperate for air.

From their hiding place behind a large, craggy boulder, Sokka and Katara watched the horrifying events unfold, feeling utterly helpless. The blind anger which had seemingly possessed Zuko was beyond terrifying. But when Aang started to turn blue, Katara knew she couldn't hide anymore.

"Zuko, stop it! Stop it!" she screamed at him frantically, "It's not his fault! Stop it! _You're going to kill him!_"

While nothing else that had been said and done seemed to penetrate Zuko's senses, those five terrifying words were like a dash of cold water to the face. They inundated him with shame and allowed him to shake off the vengeful entity that had invaded his body. The light faded from Zuko's eyes and Aang dropped to the ground in a discarded heap, coughing and gasping for precious air. Zuko descended moments later, drained and horrified.

He watched as Katara scrambled over to Aang to make sure he was okay while Sokka hunkered down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Zuko was so shaken up he couldn't even speak, but Katara was not at a loss for words. Once she was satisfied that Aang had suffered no lasting injuries in the attack, Katara pinned Zuko with an accusing glare. "What were you thinking?" she cried, "You could have killed us all!"

"Don't… He…he wasn't in control," Aang rasped in Zuko's defense. "I get it. It's okay."

Having _Aang_, of all people, dismiss and defend his actions when Zuko very well knew they'd been horrific and inexcusable only doubled his shame and, conversely, his anger as well. He took refuge in the latter, shielding himself from the crushing weight of his remorse and self-disgust. "What were you doing here anyway?" he fired at Aang furiously, "I told you to stay out of here! I told you I didn't want you here! Did you even listen to a word I said?"

"I didn't plan it," Aang began in explanation.

"I knew we shouldn't have brought you along!" he grated.

"If you'd let me explain," Aang maintained calmly.

"Save it!" Zuko snapped, staggering to his feet, "It's your fault this whole thing happened."

"_What?_ You're blaming _him_?" Katara balked incredulously.

The censure in her tone was unmistakable and it put Zuko on the instant defensive. He regarded Katara with glittering eyes. "I won't apologize for what happened," he declared obstinately. "I'm not sorry."

He said the words, but he didn't mean them. The truth was that he was sorrier than he could verbalize. Sorry and ashamed. The disappointment darkening Katara's eyes only made him feel worse. Unable to stand it any longer, Zuko simply walked away. Sokka rose to follow him.

As he passed by a still prone Aang, the young Water Tribe warrior paused briefly. "He's right, you know," he said, "I don't think you deserve what happened, but you _were_ kind of asking for it. It's like you're trying to provoke him on purpose! You should have stayed behind like he asked you. What were you thinking?" He shook his head at Aang in mild disgust. "I don't even know why I expected anything better from someone from the Fire Nation…you people don't respect anything or anyone."

Though it wasn't that way at all, Aang didn't bother trying to defend himself. He suspected there was little point in making the attempt. They had already tried and convicted him in their minds. After her brother had walked away, Aang looked over at Katara, who was regarding him with an unreadable expression.

"What about you?" he wondered softly, "Is that what you think of me? Do you agree with them?"

"I don't think I should say anything," Katara evaded. "It's been a crazy day and we're all a little emotional right now."

"No," Aang insisted stubbornly, "Say what's on your mind. I want to know what you think."

"Alright," Katara conceded in a clipped tone, her anger and frustration with the entire situation suddenly boiling over, "I _think_ you should have stayed behind! I _think_ you should try to be a little more aware of what Zuko is going through and stop pushing him! And I think _you_ should think before you act sometimes!"

"Well…" Aang uttered somewhat laconically, "…thanks for being honest."

The naked vulnerability on his face quickly dispelled the irritation Katara felt. There was something about the sadness and loneliness she saw reflected in his eyes that moved her. Katara was forcefully reminded of what he'd just endured and mentally kicked herself for inadvertently making him feel worse, even if technically, he'd insisted on her candor in the first place.

"I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, Aang," she sighed in commiseration, "I just…I don't want Zuko to be hurt. I don't want _any_ of us to be hurt. That includes you too." While he was still reeling over that unexpected admission, Katara rose to her feet and started after her brother and Zuko. She turned back to regard Aang for a brief moment. "By the way," she said gruffly, "I'm really glad you're okay."

Later that afternoon as they packed up to leave the Southern Air Temple behind; the atmosphere between the four teens was fraught with unspoken tension. Aang was seriously reconsidering the wisdom of traveling any further with them and opened his mouth to express that aloud when suddenly, the scheming lemur from earlier that day, came darting into the camp with an armful of fruit and the pilfered berry bag from earlier. He contritely laid the bounty at Aang's feet. More amused than annoyed, Aang stooped low and scratched the rabbit monkey behind his ears.

"You're forgiven," he whispered laughingly.

"What is that?" Katara asked slowly.

"Um…dinner?" Sokka ventured, already mentally counting the half dozen ways to roast a lemur.

"No, he's not dinner," Aang refuted firmly. "This lemur stole my lunch earlier today. That's why I ran inside the Temple. I was chasing him. I guess he brought me this fruit as a way of apologizing for landing me in trouble."

Zuko digested that new information with a noncommittal grunt. He felt compelled to apologize to Aang for his earlier actions and reaction afterwards, but he couldn't seem to push the words past his lips. Instead, he hunkered down to stroke a hand down the furry slope of the lemur's back. "I was beginning to think there was nothing alive here anymore," he murmured more to himself than to Aang, "I guess it's not all gone after all."

The underlying wistfulness in Zuko's tone moved Aang. Forgotten was his earlier decision to part ways with the boy. Now, Aang was suddenly infused with a new determination to stay and stick it out. "As long as you're alive, it never will be gone," he informed Zuko softly. The two boys locked gazes briefly with Zuko being the first to break eye contact. "This temple lives in you, Zuko. You just have to remember who you are."

Though the words affected Zuko deeply, especially in light of the fact that he felt he was losing himself more and more with each passing hour, he didn't acknowledge what Aang said at all, but instead avoided the subject altogether by asking, "So what are you going to do with him?"

"You mean the lemur?" Aang thought for a moment. "I don't know. I think I might keep him. I've always wanted a pet."

"They make good pets," Zuko replied, extending his tacit agreement to the idea. "You should give him a name."

"What do you think I should name him?" Aang asked. It was a rather simple, unloaded question and yet it was pregnant with implication. It signaled an unspoken truce between the two boys.

Zuko accepted that truce when he answered, "I think you should name him Momo, since it means 'peach.'" He nodded towards the abundant fruit surplus the lemur had brought along with him. "Looks like he has a preference for them," Zuko continued wryly, "It seems right to name him that."

"Then he shall be known as Momo from this point forward," Aang decreed softly.

Half an hour later, Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo were tucked into Appa's saddle as Zuko directed him towards the skyline and left behind the only home he'd ever known, unaware that the eyes of the Avatar statues within the Temple Sanctuary had begun to glow, inadvertently heralding the return of the Avatar to the world…and the Firelord.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"Do you people have something against breaks?" As expected, Aang's question was met with a measure of derision from Sokka and Zuko.

"What part of 'we urgently need to reach the North Pole so Zuko can master waterbending' are you failing to grasp?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

"Besides, we just had a personal break ten minutes ago," Zuko interjected a little impatiently, "How many times do you need to go?"

"Maybe it would help if you stopped guzzling tea by the gallon," Sokka suggested. "Seriously, do you have a wooden leg or something?"

"I'm not talking about a personal break," Aang clarified with a sigh of supreme exasperation, "I'm talking about _fun_. When do you guys kick back and have fun?"

"Fun? You can't be serious right now!" Zuko snorted incredulously, shaking his head at what he found to be an utterly ridiculous notion, "We're in the middle of a war! There's no time for fun!"

By this time, Aang had been in Zuko's company long enough to realize the boy was being absolutely serious. He almost groaned aloud at the senseless shame of it all. Only thirteen years old and already Zuko had the demeanor of a crotchety old man. He never laughed. He seldom smiled. He was work, work, work, all the time work. And while Aang admired his determination and focus and was even a little bit inspired by it, Zuko's militant approach to life was also incredibly draining, not to mention a bit boring. It seemed that no one in the group happened to remember that they were all _kids_!

"Listen, I'm not proposing that you blow off your training or anything," Aang prefaced in a sigh, "but you have to balance it out. You can't always be so goal-oriented all the time. You'll burn out really quick that way. There's a time for work and then there's a time for play."

"Spoken like someone who's never worked a day in their lives," Sokka grumbled sardonically.

Aang made a face at him, but didn't bother correcting the assumption. "I'm not being lazy," he insisted, "I'm just saying it would be nice to kick back and relax every once and a while."

"He's right," Katara said, speaking for the first time since the entire conversation begun and incurring everyone's sharpened glances of surprise when she did. "We've been flying for five days already, stopping only to eat, sleep and take care of our bodily functions. I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a little fun."

"_Katara!_" Sokka screeched in aggravation, further agitated when Aang tossed his sister a smile of approval and she actually _smiled_ back. He plucked her by the sleeve and furtively enunciated from the corner of his mouth, "Can I see you on the other side of the saddle, please?" Laughing her exasperation, Katara obliged her brother and crawled with him to the side of Appa's saddle furthest away from Aang. When they were well out of the young prince's earshot, Sokka exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing'?" Katara echoed blankly. "We were having a conversation. I was contributing. Am I not allowed?"

"You know what I mean!" Sokka hissed. "You're siding with him!"

"I am not," she denied in an exasperated huff.

"Yes, you are," Sokka insisted, "Can't you see what he's doing? It's a timeless method: divide and conquer. We have to present a united front to this guy or he'll devour us from the inside out!"

"Oh, so now he's a cannibal?"

Sokka narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Are you mocking me right now?"

"I wouldn't dare mock you, big brother," Katara replied. Though she surveyed him with a wide, innocent stare, sarcasm was practically dripping from her every word.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," Sokka retorted with an offended grunt.

Katara sighed. "It's not about being on his side," she explained in attempt to salve his bruised ego. "It's just…he has a point. I'm tired and I'm cranky and I know you are too. It would just be nice to unwind for a minute." She gave him a cajoling nudge with her shoulder. "Don't you think it would be nice to unwind, Sokka?"

Ten minutes later it was unanimously decided that they would take a break, although the idea was officially credited to Sokka rather than Aang. In the end, the Fire Nation prince didn't care who received the credit. He was simply looking forward to getting out of that saddle and stretching his legs for something other than a potty break.

They landed on a small beach near a very large lake. The second Aang saw the water he didn't waste any time stripping down to his underwear and diving beneath the surface with an excited yip. Momo dived in after him. Even though the water was a little colder than what he was used to, Aang was so exhilarated over having an opportunity to swim that he barely noticed. However, when he surfaced a few minutes later, a sodden Momo propped upon his head, he discovered that he and the lemur were the only ones in the water. Zuko, Sokka and Katara still lingered on the shoreline.

"Why are you just standing there? The point is for everyone to do it," he laughed playfully.

"We don't swim," Sokka determined flatly.

"We can't," Katara clarified.

"And I don't want to," Zuko added sourly.

Aang scowled at them disbelievingly. "What do you mean you can't swim?" he balked. "You're from the South Pole! You're surrounded by water!"

"Which is also bitterly cold and usually covered over with ice," Sokka pointed out sarcastically. "Would you want to learn to swim in that?" An uneasy expression passed over Aang's features and Sokka snorted his satisfaction. "Yeah, I didn't think so!"

"Well, come on in here then and I'll teach you," Aang invited gamely.

Sokka crossed his arms in stubborn refusal. "No way."

"I'd love to!" Katara cried excitedly, already moving to strip down to her under-garments.

Her brother did a swift double-take. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Sokka, we've always wanted to learn how to swim," she reasoned with him in a low tone, "When are we going to get another opportunity?" When he still appeared as though he might argue with her, she added, "We're supposed to be having fun, remember?" Begrudgingly acknowledging her point, Sokka began to get undressed.

"Zuko, this would probably go a lot smoother if I had someone to help me," Aang wheedled shamelessly.

"That's too bad. I'm not volunteering," Zuko maintained obstinately.

Aang cocked his head and squinted at him. "Are you always such a sour puss?" he wondered aloud.

"Live my life and then talk to me about being sour," Zuko retorted.

"Oh, you can table the angst and darkness for one day," Sokka determined unsympathetically, catching hold of Zuko's arm and dragging him along, "If I'm getting roped into this, then so are you!"

The swimming lessons commenced rather awkwardly, with Zuko serving as Katara's instructor and Aang serving as Sokka's. Aang deliberately insisted on pairing them up that way in hopes that he would be afforded with an opportunity to get to know Sokka better. He realized that if a friendship was going to be formed with the Water Tribe boy, he was going to have to take the initiative.

"You need to relax your body," Aang advised as Sokka reclined back into the water and was supported by Aang's hands. It was an awkward positioning, especially given Sokka's lack of trust.

"I am relaxed!"

Frowning, Aang inspected Sokka's crumpled form, noting how the boy was unable to stay afloat because of it. Sokka was practically curled in a fetal position, his body rigid from head to toe. Were it not for Aang propping him, he would have sank like a stone. "Um…no you're not relaxed at all," he disputed flatly.

"I can't help it! This water is freezing," Sokka complained.

"If you can deal with the temperatures at the South Pole, you can deal with this," Aang countered, "Besides, it will get better once you move around a little."

"Gee, you're all heart," Sokka groused.

"Sokka, will you concentrate already!" Aang sighed in mild vexation. He gestured over to where Zuko and Katara were practicing. "Just look at your sister. She's already starting to get the hang of it."

Katara had, indeed, already mastered the art of floating on her back and was already processing to dunking her head below water. Sokka grumbled under his breath. "Show off."

"Are you really going to be outdone by your _little_ _sister_?" Aang needled, biting back his sly smile. "My little sister has never bested me at _anything_. If it were me, I'd die first." Sokka narrowed his eyes, gearing up to show Aang just how prepared he was to outdo Katara and more, when his determined rant suddenly became a frightened yelp as something fluttered across his upper thigh. "What is it?" Aang snickered.

"Something just brushed my leg!" Sokka replied anxiously. He hopped around in the water, squinting for a glimpse of what he'd felt.

"Would you stop stalling?" Aang laughed, "It was probably Momo."

Sokka might have gladly accepting that explanation if it weren't for the large, spiny fin that suddenly began to break the surface of the water behind Aang. "Um…Aang?" he began with a petrified gulp, "Does Momo have a rather massive dorsal fin on his back?"

"What? You know he doesn't have a fin!"

The aforementioned abruptly popped out of the water and scrambled up onto Aang's shoulder, his tiny body shaking uncontrollably. "Of course, he doesn't," Sokka acknowledged, raising his arm to point to a spot beyond Aang's shoulder, "That's why we're about to have a big problem!"

Aang turned just in time to see the fin barreling down on them with rapid speed. His reaction was instantaneous. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

It became swiftly apparent that some of them weren't going to make it on foot. Zuko had already shot far ahead of them, propelled by airbending while Sokka, Katara and Aang were forced to slog through the water as fast as they could. From the shoreline, Zuko screamed at them frantically to hurry. In a moment of ingenuity, Katara grabbed hold of her brother and Aang and pushed her hand through the water in a forward slicing motion. Seconds later, the three teens were jet-propelled towards the shoreline with lightning speed, cutting through the water like an arrow piercing the air.

They landed in an unceremonious heap at Zuko's feet, coughing and sputtering and relieved to be alive. Still flat on his back, Sokka tipped a sour glance up at Zuko. "Way to have our backs there, Zuko," he quipped wryly.

"I'm sorry! I thought you were right behind me!"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Sadly, we weren't gifted with the magic of airbending."

"Look," Aang said, pointing towards the water as the serrated fin began rising through the surface of the lake to reveal the rather large head of the mighty sea serpent attached to it. The sinuous body rose high into the air, rivulets of water sluicing down its scaly form. The monster's large, razor sharp teeth glistened in the sun, the tentacles on both sides of its snout bristled. The teens held their breaths in a simultaneous, suspended gasp as they were drowned in the monster's shadow and literally paralyzed with fear and too terrified to scream.

And then, without warning, it opened its mouth and drenched them with a punishing spray of lake water before descending back into the water just as suddenly as it had appeared and swimming away. Aang slumped in relief, his heart knocking so hard the beats were practically audible. "It's gone…"

Sokka rolled upright and inspected his body with a revolted grimace. "Please tell me that was water and not serpent spit," he groaned weakly, "Ugh…I feel queasy."

"That was the second most horrifying thing that's ever happened to me," Katara announced in a daze, "and in the space of _two_ days at that!"

"That was absolutely the most disgusting thing that's ever happened to me," Zuko followed up with a scowl, "Bar none."

"Well, that was the most _awesome_ thing to ever happen to me!" Aang added with a broad grin, "What a rush!" That statement earned him several strange looks. "Er…I mean, I'm so glad we're alive," he amended sheepishly.

"What was that thing?" Katara whispered, "I thought for sure it was going to have us for lunch."

"Well, let's not stick around and see if it changes its mind," Sokka declared, pushing to his feet. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had enough _fun_ for one day!"

He had no sooner voiced the words when he was abruptly thrown back to the ground, bound and gagged. Katara, Aang, Momo, and Zuko received similar treatment only seconds before they had burlap sacks pulled over their heads and the world went dark.

****

When they saw daylight again, Sokka, Katara, Zuko, Aang and Momo found themselves tied to a pole and surrounded by at least a dozen young women, clad in green robes edged with gold, fans tucked neatly into the waistbands and in full white and red face paint. It was an intimidating sight for everyone except Zuko. Almost the second the bag was pulled from his head, Zuko was bristling with anger and spoiling for a fight.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded furiously, "Why did your men attack us?"

An older man, with a fluffy, gray beard and topknot materialized through the crowd of girls. "I am Oyagi," he said simply, "State your business here and you won't be harmed."

Sokka snorted at the statement, flicking a glance to their bound hands and feet. "We won't be harmed? Is this your idea of the welcome wagon?" he mocked.

"We found these among your things," Oyagi replied, thrusting forward a fistful of sodden clothing. Upon closer inspection, they were easily determined as belonging to Aang. "This is Fire Nation issue," Oyagi continued, "Does this belong to you? Are you Fire Nation?"

"I think we're the ones who should be asking the questions!" Zuko fired back. "We were minding our own business and you attacked us!"

"On the contrary, you four are the ones who have some explaining to do," Oyagi countered. "Minding your own business or not, you are trespassing here. So I ask again…what is your business here?"

"And if you don't answer our questions," the young woman at his right added menacingly, "we're throwing you back in the water with the unagi! I'm sure he'd love a second go at you!"

"We have nothing to say to you," Sokka spit back obstinately. "I want to talk with the warriors who brought us here in the first place! They can tell you that we were doing nothing wrong!"

"_We're_ the ones who brought you here," the girl flung out, "so we know that's a lie!"

"What?" Sokka scoffed in laughing disbelief, "There's no way a bunch of girls took us down!"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say because the girl snarled and shot forward, catching her hand beneath Sokka's throat as if she meant to snap his neck in two right then and there. "Would you like another demonstration on just how quickly I can take you down?" she threatened.

"Suki! Stand down," Oyagi ordered her sharply, "What good will it serve if you harm him before we can find out why they're here?"

"Please, leave him alone," Aang pleaded, "The clothes belong to me." More than a dozen pairs of eyes cut to his face with penetrating intensity. "I'm Fire Nation."

"You're not welcome here," Oyagi stated gravely. "We want no part of the conflict your people have caused. Kyoshi has managed to stay out of the war until now and I plan to keep it that way. You must leave our island immediately."

"Wait a minute," Zuko interrupted, "Did you say Kyoshi? As in Avatar Kyoshi?"

"Yes," Oyagi answered warily, "Our island was both named and founded by Avatar Kyoshi." He lifted his eyes upward, causing the four teens to follow suit. For the first time, they realized they weren't tied to a pole at all, but to a towering, 40 foot, painted effigy of the Avatar Kyoshi herself. It was faded and sprinkled with dirt but no less majestic in its wonderful artistry. "Kyoshi is extremely revered here," Oyagi informed them proudly.

"If that's the case, then you should probably think about letting us go," Sokka informed Oyagi a little smugly.

"And why would we want to do that?" Suki sneered.

"We're traveling with the Avatar, that's why," Katara informed them softly, nodding towards Zuko, "Him."

"You're the Avatar?" Oyagi snorted, half in disbelief, half in shock.

"Don't believe them! It's a trick!" Suki warned Oyagi, "They're Fire Nation spies just like we suspected!" She lowered her voice, but not so low their captives couldn't hear her. "We can't let them leave."

"We're not spies," Aang refuted, "Furthermore, if we wanted to escape…" he continued, casually burning his way through the ropes binding him and his friends so that they fell as ashes at their feet, "…we could have done that a long time ago." Two dozen fans snapped open in defensive reaction. Aang quickly held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, now! We don't mean you any harm," he assured them. "My friends and I only made a stop on our way to the North Pole to find the Avatar a waterbending teacher."

Oyagi regarded Zuko skeptically. "How can we know for certain that you're truly the Avatar?"

Zuko bounded into the air, back-flipping onto the statue's shoulder in one, fluidly graceful motion. He stared down at Oyagi defiantly. "Is that proof enough for you?" Oyagi and his warriors gasped in speechless amazement, obviously thoroughly convinced.

"Now then…" Aang sighed with a wide, self-satisfied grin, "…maybe we can start over?"

That night they were received as highly honored guests in Oyagi's home. A festive dinner was thrown in their honor. Of course, once word that the Avatar was present spread throughout the island, it wasn't long before the small courtyard in front of Oyagi's house was filled with spectators. Zuko found the gathering crowed a bit overwhelming. From his guest bedroom window on the upper level of the house, he stared down at the crush of people below, clearly put off by all the attention.

"Appa's having dinner," Katara informed him as she crept up behind him. "Some of the Islanders were good enough to put him up in a nearby stable. He has all the hay he can eat."

Zuko jumped slightly at the sound of her voice before turning his sullen attention back outside the window. "Good," he grunted. "At least, he's happy."

Katara knelt down beside him. "What about you? Are you happy?"

He snorted at the question. "I'm never happy, Katara," he replied wryly, "Haven't you figured that out by now?"

"I don't think your problem has anything to do with happiness, Zuko," Katara observed astutely. "You just don't know what to do with all this scrutiny, do you?"

Zuko didn't have to ask what she meant. He was sure his absence from the festivities was conspicuous to more than just Katara. "Sokka and Aang seem to be eating up all this attention just fine," he replied gruffly, nodding to where both young men were dazzling a crowd of young women with their feats of manly prowess.

While Aang created flaming rings of fire, Sokka awed the crowd by diving through them with acrobatic agility. The people cheered and begged for more, which only further swelled the boys' heads. On the outskirts of the crowd, however, Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors rolled their eyes, before shaking their heads in disgust and turning away entirely.

"I guess I'm glad they're having a good time, but I can't stand this," he admitted in a self-deprecating mumble, "All I want to do is get to get to the North Pole and learn waterbending."

"And we're going to do that," Katara reassured him, "but it doesn't hurt to stop and see the world along the way. Maybe meet new people…make some friends?" she finished in hopeful venture.

Zuko turned positively green at the prospect. "I don't know," he hedged, "I've never been very good at making friends."

"Really? I couldn't tell," Katara teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

He flashed an altogether too rare smile that was gone before she even had a chance to process its appearance. "I never know what to say to people," he confessed, "This may surprise you seeing as how I'm the Avatar and everything, but most people seem to find me rather abrupt and distant."

"No, you?" Katara guffawed with a wide, blinking stare.

"I'm just too awkward," Zuko settled.

"Well…it might help if you started simple," Katara suggested gently, "Maybe with 'hello'?" She could tell by Zuko's aghast expression that he was about to reject the suggestion altogether, but Katara was determined not to let him. She held her hand out to him. "Come downstairs with me and meet your many admirers," she invited sweetly, "They want a chance to get to know you." He groaned at the prospect. "I'll be with you the entire time, Zuko."

He stared at her fingers, torn between taking her hand and remaining exactly where he was. Finally, he shook his head. "No," he sighed, "I'll just mess it up."

However, Katara didn't retract her hand. "Why are you so afraid of letting yourself need someone?" she asked him gently. He didn't answer that, not that she'd really expected him to anyway. "Zuko, it's okay to take my hand," she persisted, "It doesn't make you weak. This is what friends do for each other."

Zuko stared at her for a long, uncertain moment and, after nodding his acceptance of her words, took a deep breath, reached out and took her hand.

****

"So are you guys doing some kind of tribal dance or something?"

Suki cringed at the sound of Sokka's voice and fell out of formation with her fellow warriors. She lurched around to find him and his Fire Nation friend smirking at her from the entrance of the training dojo. "No, this isn't a _tribal_ _dance_," she enunciated between clenched teeth, "For your information, we're practicing our fighting drills and _you're_ interrupting."

Aang immediately straightened, his interest piqued. "Sweet! Fighting with fans," he chirped excitedly, "Can I join in? I don't mind learning some new moves."

"Well, normally we wouldn't teach an outsider," Suki began, "but since you are friends with the Avatar, I'll make an exception for you." Aang responded to that with an excited yip.

"You can't fight with fans!" Sokka balked, "It's not manly!"

"What do I need to do?" Aang asked Suki, pointedly ignoring Sokka.

"Follow Niyu," she said, nodding to a warrior on her right, "She'll help you get ready." She and Sokka watched with twin grins of laughing amusement as Aang happily skipped off behind Niyu and disappeared behind a curtain on the far side of the dojo. When they realized they were both smiling, however, their faces instantly wiped clean of expression and they were left regarding one another warily. "Um…so…your friend's a little strange, isn't he?" Suki remarked awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess he is," Sokka agreed, "But he's not my friend…I mean not really," he rushed to add when Suki regarded him with a questioning frown, "What I mean is," he clarified with a massive sigh, "we only just met a little while ago and I'm still getting to know him better."

"Well, he seems okay," Suki observed, "…for Fire Nation anyway."

Sokka considered her words for a moment, thinking of the last few days he'd spent with Aang and realizing belatedly that he'd actually _enjoyed_ them. "You're right," he concluded with a fair amount of surprise, "He is okay."

Unaware that she had just triggered an epiphany for him, Suki abruptly thrust out her hand. "I'm Suki, by the way," she announced suddenly. He blinked at her. "We…um…we weren't exactly properly introduced before."

"Right," Sokka recalled with a slight grin. He took hold of her hand and gripped it briefly. "I'm Sokka. And my crazy friend…his name is Aang, just in case you didn't already know."

"Nice to meet you, Sokka," she murmured gruffly. Acutely aware of that the ears of her fellow warriors were likely straining in effort to eavesdrop on her conversation, Suki plucked hold of Sokka's elbow and led him over to the far corner of the dojo, in hopes for some semblance of privacy. "Hey…about this morning," she began a bit uncomfortably, "I'm sorry for how I came after you before. We don't get many outsiders here and well… If I'd known you were friends with the Avatar…"

"Don't say another word," Sokka interrupted smoothly, "It happens to the best of us. But I'm willing to forget the whole ambushing thing if you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning." He actually dared to wink at her. "Be sure to wear something pretty."

Suki scoffed at the suggestion. "Wear something pretty?" she echoed in affront.

"Well, you said you wanted to make it up to me."

"That doesn't mean I want to have breakfast with you!" she flung back, "And besides, I was only apologizing for mistaking you for the enemy, not for kicking your butt."

"Hey, hey, wait a minute," Sokka huffed, "You did _not_ kick my butt. You ambushed me when I was naked and vulnerable and my back was turned. We both know you never could have taken me in a full frontal."

"Excuse me?" Suki grimaced, torn between laughter and antipathy over his unmitigated gall.

"You caught me off guard," Sokka reiterated. "I mean, I had just escaped the clutches of a humongous, life threatening sea monster! You took advantage of me in a weak moment. There wasn't any actual prowess involved to your sneak attack!"

"Oh really?"

"Pfft," Sokka laughed, working himself into a cocky lather and digging a hole for himself at the same time, "Suki, face it. If we went at it in hand to hand combat, there's no way you could take me."

"Is that so?" she challenged, "Well, why don't you prove it then? Instead of breakfast tomorrow, meet me here first thing in the morning and we'll have a rematch."

Sokka dismissed the entire idea with a snorting laugh. "Forget about it. I don't fight girls."

"What? Are you not man enough?" Suki niggled. "Afraid I'll kick your butt again?"

"Not even in your wildest dreams, sweetheart!" he retorted. They stood nose to nose, circling each other in an unconscious, but age-old mating dance.

"Then be here. Sun up. I'll be waiting."

"You're on!" Though he didn't know why it happened or how, Sokka was seriously debating the wisdom of kissing her right then and there, but the confusing consideration was completely taken out of his hands when Aang finally emerged from behind the curtain.

"So," he prodded as he reluctantly stepped out and did an awkward twirl, "How do I look?" Sporting a crookedly unsure grin, Aang stood before Sokka in the signature Kyoshi warrior robes, his face painted entirely white, his eyes and lips accented with red and black. Sokka hated to admit it, but…Aang didn't make a bad looking girl. "Niyu said that in order to effectively channel Kyoshi, I had to get in touch with my feminine side," Aang explained sheepishly.

Sokka shook his head in mocking dismay. "Just when I think you can't get any weirder…"


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"Now Suki, I have to warn you," Sokka prefaced arrogantly as he cracked his neck bones for effect, "I happen to be the best warrior in my village."

Seated on the earthen floor, a few feet away in the middle of a single row of spectators for the event, Katara shook her head in groaning chagrin. "This is going to be so ugly," she predicted direly.

Aang munched on a handful of litchi nuts in grinning anticipation. "Yeah, he's going to get clobbered. Isn't it great?" Though Katara made a big production of rolling her eyes over his unconcealed excitement, she was having difficulty biting back her own amused smile and he knew it. The two exchanged surreptitious snickers.

Zuko, however, failed to derive even a modicum of joy from the situation. He couldn't understand why they were lingering in Kyoshi at all nor did he want to linger. It wasn't that he despised the place. The islanders were friendly and they treated Appa well. They had made him feel nothing but welcomed and revered the entire time he'd been there, but…Zuko was acutely aware of the more pressing matters that required his attention. His primary objective was to make it to the North Pole to find a waterbending master. Completing that goal was literally all he could think about because it was the first step needed to set in on the path towards achieving his ultimate objective: total annihilation of the Fire Nation.

Only through their destruction would the world know peace again. He was already a hundred years too late where his own people were concerned. Nothing could bring the Air Nomads back now. But he could prevent the same thing from happening to the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. He could not fail in his duties as the Avatar again. He _would_ not.

Each hour he spent in Kyoshi wasting time on frivolities like wrestling matches was an hour lost in travel and, ultimately, an hour lost in precious training. The more he thought about it, the more it aggravated him, especially because his so-called friends seemed not to grasp the gravity of the situation at all. They claimed to want to end the war and yet, rather than leaving at first light as Zuko would have preferred, they were watching Sokka try to woo a girl! The realization left Zuko feeling impatient and testy and he didn't bother to hide it.

"This is such a waste of time!" he muttered aloud, scowling petulantly as he regarded Sokka and Suki only a few feet away.

Beside him, Aang favored the temperamental Avatar with a careful glance, quickly detecting the frustrated edge he heard in Zuko's tone. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not okay!" Zuko snapped. "There's absolutely no reason for us to be here!"

"Of course, there's a reason," Aang laughed, hoping to lighten his young acquaintance's dark mood, "Sokka wants to prove to Suki that he's manlier than she is, remember?"

His attempt at humor failed miserably and Zuko's scowl deepened. "Everything's a colossal joke for you, isn't it?" he sneered.

"I just think it wouldn't hurt if you relaxed every once in a while," Aang returned in an even tone. _It probably wouldn't kill you to smile or laugh on occasion either_, he added silently.

"I don't have time to relax!" Zuko bit out between clenched teeth, "I need to train. I mean, that's supposed to be the whole point of this trip in the first place! We're supposed to be on our way to the North Pole, not making pit stops! It's ridiculous! Not that I'd expect you to understand anyway. You're the reason why we're here!"

Following Zuko's aggravated rant, Aang surveyed him with another chary look before slowly leaning over to Katara and whispering, "Er…he's a little uptight, isn't he?"

"Give him a break," Katara whispered back tartly, "He's got a lot on his shoulders, okay!"

Duly reprimanded, Aang immediately straightened and returned his attention to the upcoming fight, mentally kicking himself for, apparently, crossing the line with her. He was making a silent note never to criticize Zuko again, even if he was only joking when, only a beat later, Katara scooted closer to him and added in a low, matter-of-fact tone, "But to answer your question…yeah, he is." Aang sliced her with a surprised, sideways glance, noting for the first time the faint, teasing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Oblivious to the tentative friendship blooming between his sister and the Fire Nation prince, Sokka jumped loosely from side to side on the training mat, flexing his arms and legs and limbering his muscles in preparation for his big showdown with Suki. To his surprise, most of the island had shown up for the rematch, though only a select few had been allowed inside the dojo, his sister, Aang and Zuko among them. Having garnered so much attention in such a short time, it was difficult for Sokka to keep his new celebrity status from going to his head.

"So how exactly are we going to do this?" he asked Suki, "Do we just start grappling with each other or what?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively with the double entendre, which earned him little more than Suki's disgusted eye roll.

"Niyu will give us the signal and then…" Suki told him, "…it's a fight to the _death_."

"A fight to the _WHAT?_" Sokka bleated, blanching at the unsmiling gravity in her tone.

Laughing uncontrollably at his horrified expression, Suki snorted, "I'm just kidding!" She chortled merrily. "You should have seen your face! Wow! You are so gullible!"

Sokka scowled at her dourly as he settled into a defensive stance. "You're not the least bit funny."

Suki followed suit, flashing him a cheeky smile. "Oh, I think I am."

The gong sounded a few seconds later, signaling the start of the fight. A simultaneous breath of anticipation rolled throughout the dojo. However, while he and Suki circled each other on the mat warily, Sokka made no move to directly engage her. Though he knew several plans of attack he could execute, he hesitated to use any of them because he was hyper aware of the fact that, despite all her bravado and mouth, Suki was still a girl. A helpless, sweet, vulnerable girl and he didn't want to hurt her. Considering that, Sokka decided he would wait for her to make the first move and then take her down as quickly and painlessly as possible. After all, he wasn't a brute. He'd even be good enough to let her get a few good licks in…just to save face.

Sensing exactly what was playing through his mind right then, Suki had every intention of showing him exactly what a girl was capable of. "So does your plan of attack include standing here all morning like a slack-jawed idiot," she egged on provocatively, "or are you just having second thoughts about getting your butt kicked with an audience?"

With concerted effort, Sokka shrugged off the collective gasp that went up from the crowd at her veiled insult. "Hey, I'm trying to go easy on you…you know, with you being the weaker sex and all."

"Easy on me?" Suki laughed, "What is that? Code for I'm a scared little girl?"

"Actually, I'm just feeling sorry for you," Sokka retorted, "seeing as how we're so unevenly matched!"

"Oh? Would you rather have your friend's pet lemur step in then?" Suki asked innocently, "That way you could be paired with an equal."

As the small crowd surrounding them erupted of a low chorus of "oohs" over Suki's last dig, Sokka growled, "Okay, that tears it!" and lunged forward, attempting to hook his foot behind Suki's ankle and take her down. Instead, she fluidly reversed their positions and _he_ was the one who ended up flat on his back with his arms pinned above his head. His cheeks flamed with hot color.

Suki leaned over him with a toothy grin and taunted, "So…had enough?"

"Not quite," he answered, swiveling onto his side without warning and using his head to sweep her supporting arm from beneath her body. As she collapsed against the mat, her hold on him loosened and Sokka took advantage of her momentary stupefaction to scramble atop her prone body. He used his knees to pin her arms to her side, holding her immobilized between his thighs. "Hah!" he crowed proudly, "Who's got the upper hand now? So what are you going to do?"

"Well, you know what they say…" Suki drawled in a singsong tone.

"What do they say?"

"Pride before a fall, Sokka," she said, swinging up her legs in a graceful turn so that her feet were braced against his shoulders. Before he could even prepare himself she had already shoved him to the ground. He went backwards in a hail of flailing arms, careening into the mat like a felled tree. Sokka's pained groan echoed throughout the dojo as Suki agilely regained her footing and began circling him like a prowling cat. "I don't suppose the warriors in your village possess a great amount of 'prowess' either," Suki jeered, "At least, if you're any indication."

With a low, warrior's cry, Sokka launched himself at her in a running tackle, only to be smoothly sidestepped and then tripped. Suki laughed at his efforts. "Wow, you're too easy!"

"Sokka, keep your head!" Zuko advised from the sidelines, "You're letting her turn your own momentum against you! Get it together!" His unexpected commentary brought with it a great deal of attention, but especially from Katara and Aang. They both gaped at him in disbelief. "What?" Zuko demanded self-consciously when he became aware of their avid perusal.

"I thought you weren't into this," Aang remarked in obvious confusion.

Zuko responded with a disinterested shrug. "I'm here, aren't I?" he considered sourly, "I might as well make the most of it."

The match between Sokka and Suki degenerated into a game of pure one-upmanship. Suki was the more skilled of the two, whereas Sokka had strength and ingenuity on his side. Back and forth they went, with Sokka down and then Suki and then Sokka again. It became abundantly clear that both were going to keep going until the other fell in exhaustion.

After more than an hour of watching them flirt with each other under the guise of combat, Aang stifled a yawn and contemplated the wisdom of staying and seeing where the headlock Suki currently had Sokka ensnared in would lead or taking a break to stretch his legs before they fell asleep. He was only just starting to roll to his feet when one of the villagers suddenly burst into the dojo in a breathless panic.

"Suki, come with me! Oyagi needs you right now!"

Suki immediately released Sokka and stood at attention, the anxious concern on her face plain even beneath her makeup. "What's happened?"

"A Fire Navy ship just arrived. It's docking in our port as we speak."

Following the mention of the Fire Navy ship, every pair of eyes in the dojo automatically swung around and settled on Aang in the natural assumption that he had something to do with it. Aang shifted uneasily under the intensity of their questioning stares. But only Sokka was bold enough to say aloud what practically everyone in the room was thinking at that moment. "Okay, what did you do now?"

****

Oyagi held himself straight and tall as the Fire Nation officer strode confidently down his vessel's gangplank, flanked by another two officers and followed by a dozen more grouped in neat rows of three. He could tell immediately that the officer at the fore was the commander, not simply because of his positioning, but also because of the arrogantly confident way in which he carried himself. He was a tall man with a neat beard and distinguished sideburns. His features were chiseled and refined and could have likely been described as handsome if he didn't appear so cold and aloof. There seemed to be something distinctly cruel about him and the fact that Oyagi could sense that, even before the man had said a single word, chilled his blood.

"Good day to you. I am Admiral Zhao, commander of this vessel," he announced simply when he reached Oyagi.

He said nothing more than that. He knew he didn't need to. Zhao had made a name for himself, not only within the Fire Nation for the swift efficiency with which he had risen through their military ranks, but also within the numerous provinces of the world as well. He had not received those military promotions for nothing. Zhao was known for being a harsh and exacting man…cold, deadly and merciless. There were better Firebenders than he to be sure, but there were none more ruthless, save the Firelord himself. His reputation was legendary and, because of that, there was not a town within all the Earth Kingdom that could hear his name and _not_ tremble with fear.

Oyagi, however, refused to tremble. Quite the contrary, he met the Admiral's gaze squarely and resolutely. "I have heard many things about you, Admiral Zhao," he acknowledged in a neutral tone.

"I expect that you have. As a result, I'm sure you know what brings me to your humble island," Zhao said with a smile that was colder than his inscrutable stare. "I hereby claim Kyoshi Island in the name of Firelord Ozai. I will accept your tribute and sworn fealty to the Fire Nation crown now."

This had become a usual ceremony for Zhao in the past two years and, having grown accustomed to doing it as well as the reactions he would usually receive, he was wholly prepared for Oyagi's defiant, but altogether predictable, "No." Nearly every Earth Kingdom township they had conquered displayed similar shows of bravado. Zhao didn't mind the rebellious spirit very much though. It made breaking them to pieces all the more enjoyable.

Rather than being angered by Oyagi's refusal then, he was amused. "You're telling me no?" he echoed as if merely checking to see if he'd heard the shorter man correctly.

"We will not pay you tribute or swear our fealty, Admiral," Oyagi clarified. "With all due respect, Kyoshi has been free for more than 800 years. We have never proven a threat to anyone nor do we now. The Firelord has nothing to fear from us. We have no stake in this war."

"The Firelord fears no one," Zhao informed him brusquely. "It is a simple matter. He takes Kyoshi because he wishes it and because he can."

Oyagi shook his head in absolute refusal of that statement. "I cannot allow that."

Zhao emitted a low chuckle. "What you can and cannot allow is not my concern. Evidently, you've mistaken my _order_ for a request. I was merely giving you the courtesy of surrender. If you test me, I can and will raze this island to the ground."

"You will not take Kyoshi," Oyagi determined, "We will fight you."

"That is exactly what I had hoped you would say," the Admiral returned in a deeply satisfied tone. He turned to the officer on his right. "Raid the island," he ordered tersely, "Leave nothing unturned. Confiscate anything or _anyone_ of value and then…" his eyes practically gleamed as he settled on Oyagi and concluded, "…burn the entire place to the ground. I don't want a tree left standing." As his soldiers marched forward to carry out his orders, however, half a dozen Kyoshi warriors materialized on the edge of the beach to block their paths, fans at the ready.

"I think you'd better make other plans, Zhao," a voice said from behind them.

Ears prickling with familiarity, Zhao's mouth turned up in a slow smirk as Aang stepped from behind the warriors and came into view. Aware that his own soldiers were poised for attack on his signal, Zhao held up his hand for them to momentarily stand down. "Well, well, well," he drawled shortly, "if it isn't our wayward, young prince…and friends." He threw a cursory glance over the crush of warriors before him, only vaguely noting the two boys and young girl who seemed out of place in the sea of green. "Where is your uncle?"

"Why?" Aang retorted, "Are you in the mood for a little humiliation today?"

"Still as disrespectful as ever, I see," Zhao grated.

"I know you missed it terribly."

The Admiral snorted softly, neither concerned by the opposition set before him nor Aang's mocking remarks. "If you're trying to get under my skin, you should learn a new trick," he told Aang, "I'm more in the mood to thank you than throttle you."

"And why is that?" Aang demanded stiffly.

"Because you've afforded me with the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. As I'm sure you're aware, your father is…ah…_anxious_ to have you home again," Zhao replied smoothly. "You haven't made the task very easy. But today is a new day. Not only will I claim this island in your father's name, I will return you to him as well. I can't imagine what rewards await me."

Aang assumed his defensive stance, fists at the ready. "Not going to happen."

The corner of Zhao's mouth turned up in a small smirk of challenge as he followed suit. "We'll see."

Only seconds after his imperceptible signal to his soldiers to open fire, however, a brutal fist of wind smashed into his mid-section, catching him by surprise and knocking him off his feet. The beach erupted in chaotic combat, with slicing fan attacks and fire blasts splitting the air, permeating the area with hissing, sizzling and crackling, blasting out a spray of hot embers everywhere. In the melee of black smoke and heaving bodies, Aang and Zuko lost sight of Sokka, Katara and Suki. The battle was an indecipherable blob of green and red, swelling and shrinking as the fight escalated. Taking advantage of the confusion, Zuko went running at Zhao with a loud war cry. He had no clear plan in his mind, but was only inundated with the feral need to attack.

Zhao was prepared for Zuko's second assault and deftly avoided it before quickly countering with a rhythmic barrage of steady fire blasts. Zuko danced and dipped out of the range as the fireballs whizzed past him in rapid succession, the last of which caught him on an upward spin and grazed across his ribcage. The flame ate through the thin material of his tunic, burning his tender flesh and causing him to cry out in surprised pain. He crumpled to the ground momentarily, finally allowing Aang to reach him and physically put himself between Zhao and the injured Avatar. His efforts to shield Zuko were not met with gratitude, but rather Zuko's infuriated demands for him to get out of the way. Aang stubbornly refused to budge.

Zhao faced Aang with a measure of surprise and calculated anticipation. "Well, it seems you aren't the failure I initially took you for, Prince Aang," he commended lightly, "You found the Avatar after all."

"Leave him alone," Aang ordered tautly, struggling between presenting an unshakeable veneer to Zhao and holding a ranting Zuko at bay, "This is between you and me."

"Surely you can't expect me to simply walk away," Zhao scoffed, "A gift such as this only comes along once in a lifetime. It's a foregone conclusion that I'm taking him back with me…_both_ of you."

Finally managing to tear himself from behind Aang's barricade, Zuko shoved the older boy aside and faced Zhao with a defiant glower. "I'm not going anywhere with you," he declared implacably, "Furthermore, you will leave this island and never return! This is your first and last warning!"

"This is your first and last _lesson_, young Avatar," Zhao responded coldly, "I give the orders around here."

Punctuating that calculated statement, he sprang low to the ground and drove his fist into the earth so that the sand blasted up with a sudden spurt of fire that cut through the ground like a whale-shark's dorsal fin through water and sent Zuko back-flipping in retreat. Before he had even regained his footing, however, Aang was countering Zhao's attack, springing into full on protective mode without even thinking about it. He drew back his arms and produced a wall of liquid heat, pushing it forward so that it rolled at Zhao like a fiery tsunami. Satisfied with the momentary diversion, Aang grabbed hold of Zuko's arm and took off in a dead run for Kyoshi's main square.

Zuko ranted the entire way with Aang practically dragging him along. "What are you doing?" he hissed, "Let go of me! I don't need your help! I could have taken him by myself!"

"This isn't about 'taking him.' We need to right leave now," Aang retorted, pausing briefly to trade fire blasts with Zhao, who was in hot pursuit of them.

"I don't want to run!" Zuko argued. "If we stay and fight, we can end this now!"

"Don't you get it?" Aang flung back as they ducked for cover behind a burning, overturned wagon, "Look around you! He won't stop coming after us, even if it means reducing Kyoshi to ash! These people don't deserve that."

"So we stop him here," Zuko determined obstinately, "We end this here!"

"And then my father sends another to replace him," Aang countered grimly, "And another and another. There's always someone else, each new one more ruthless and cruel than the last." Desperate to convey the urgency of the situation to Zuko, Aang grasped hold of the boy's shoulders in an attempt to penetrate the Avatar's stubborn resolve. "I know you want to stand and fight," Aang acknowledged, "You want to avenge your people and I get that, but at whose expense?"

Zuko's jaw was still knotted with bitter resentment, because he knew deep in his heart that Aang was right and he hated him for it, when Sokka, Katara and Suki joined them behind the wagon. Momo scurried up onto Aang's shoulder a few seconds later and wrapped himself around his master's head in a shivering ball of fur.

"How are we doing?" Sokka wanted to know. His face was smudged with soot and dotted with perspiration. In fact, they all were a bit sooty and there were several black spots and tears in their clothing, but on the whole, none of them appeared any worse for wear.

However, before Aang could answer Sokka's question, Katara noticed that Zuko was another story. "Zuko, you're hurt!" she cried when she saw the blistered burn across his ribcage.

"It's not bad. I can barely feel it," he dismissed when she tried to inspect his injury, "We have bigger problems on our hands."

"Zhao wants Zuko," Aang informed the group grimly, "He's not going to stop until he has him. I think the safest thing we can do is get out of here."

"I agree," Katara murmured, "There's no way we're going to take all these Firebenders by ourselves. Practically the whole town is on fire."

"If we leave, I know Zhao will follow us," Aang explained quickly as their hiding place was consumed in flames. They scurried and scrambled together to a new hiding spot, splitting and converging, dodging fire blast and countering attacks along the way. The five teens found refuge again a few minutes later in a small alley between two burning buildings.

Anxiously conscious of how rapidly the situation was deteriorating, Aang said, "Leaving is definitely our best bet. Now that Zhao knows the Avatar is alive, nothing else will matter to him. We'll be his sole focus."

"And gaining the undivided attention of a crazy pyromaniac is a good thing?" Sokka balked.

"It will draw him away from Kyoshi," Aang considering, "so yeah…it's a very good thing."

"So what do want us to do?" Katara asked, inexplicably alarmed over the prospect of him being separated from their group. Given the urgency of the situation, however, Katara didn't bother to meditate on why she felt that way.

In the meantime, Aang realized that he had been appointed, by some unspoken rule, as interim leader in the conflict. It was a fact that severely irritated Zuko and supremely surprised Aang. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to contemplate what it meant. Recognizing the gravity of their circumstances and the trust that had been extended towards him to get them out of it, Aang was determined not to fail.

"I'll hold off Zhao as long as I can," he volunteered. "While I do that, Katara…you, Zuko and Sokka need to take Momo, find Appa and get out of here."

"What about you?" Katara burst out.

"I'll meet up with you where we first arrived," Aang promised, "I just need to divert Zhao long enough so you guys can get on Appa safely." The entire time their haphazard plan was being put into motion, Zuko had not said a single word and, predictably, when Aang turned to him for his tacit agreement, the young Avatar didn't budge. "Please, Zuko…" he pleaded. Zuko glared at him, his unspoken refusal gathering the concerned scrutiny of his friends. Growling under his breath at the Avatar's unbending willfulness, Aang lost his patience for the first time in days.

"What are you going to do?" Aang snapped, "Let Kyoshi burn just so you can see Zhao fall? What's more important? Your pride or the people here?"

For a moment, Zuko looked as if he might hit Aang. His fists were trembling tightly at his sides with the overwhelming desire, but in the end, he held back and snapped to his feet. "Fine!" Zuko bit out shortly, "Let's go." He plunged back into the battle, giving Katara little choice but to run after him with Momo in tow.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to make it back to the beach?" Sokka asked Aang. "What happens if you get captured?"

"Tell you what, Sokka. If I'm not there in five minutes, you can finally have your way and leave without me," he decided with a careless smile.

The suggestion left Sokka sputtering. "But what about—," He never had the opportunity to complete the question, however, because Aang had already disappeared into the thick cloud of black smoke and swirling dust beyond them.

Though Suki knew she should go after him, she lingered for a moment there with Sokka, realizing with a surprising sense of sadness that this was likely the last time she would ever see him. It wasn't until that exact moment that she acknowledged she didn't' want to. "So this is goodbye, I guess," she remarked gruffly.

"I guess…" Sokka mumbled with equal gruffness, acutely aware of their limited time together and suddenly overcome with the need to make amends with her. "Suki, I owe you an apology," he rushed out. "I completely underestimated you. Out there on the beach, when you and the other Kyoshi warriors were facing all those Firebenders…you were spectacular. You were every inch a warrior. I never meant to belittle that…or you."

"I owe you an apology too, Sokka," Suki whispered, "I misjudged you. You are so much more than I expected you to be. I wish I could have had more time to get to know you." She nibbled on her lip, mindful of the dwindling time and made anxious because of it. "We're never going to see each other again, are we?" she surmised sadly.

"Probably not."

"Well, in that case…" Without warning, Suki leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth. The moment was over much too quickly for Sokka's taste. Suki favored him with a bittersweet smile. "Goodbye, Sokka."

He was still sitting there, fingering the tingling spot where she'd kissed him when Aang materialized through the smoke and very nearly mowed him down. "What are you still doing here?" he cried in surprise, hooking hold of Sokka's arm without ever slowing retreat, "We gotta move! _Now!_"

As they pounded for the adjacent shoreline, blasts of fire whizzed and crackled over their heads. They made it onto the beach just as Zhao closed in and ignited the surrounding brush. After they scrambled on to Appa and took flight, the heat of his attack could still be felt even as they put swift distance between themselves and the Admiral.

Sokka performed a reflexive pat down of his person. When he was satisfied that nothing was on fire or singed, he wilted with relief. "Well, that was incredibly close."

Aang, however, was too overcome with guilt to feel relieved at having narrowly escaped with his life. Instead, he stared out at Kyoshi, which was still burning. "This is all my fault," he mumbled to himself, "All I wanted was for us to have a little fun."

"You're right," Zuko agreed brusquely from his perch atop Appa's head, having overheard the muttered comment, "It _is_ your fault. If we had stayed the course like I wanted none of this would have happened."

Sokka and Katara stared at Zuko in dumbfounded shock over his blunt censure, but Aang was quiet and pensive as he acknowledged the truth in Zuko's words. Rather than brooding about it though, he decided to take action. Before any of them could even discern his intentions, he positioned himself on the edge of Appa's saddle and jumped.

Horrified, Sokka and Katara scrambled to the edge of the saddle with startled cries, watching as Aang disappeared beneath the surface of the churning lake below. Sokka threw a mildly accusing look over at Zuko, who was staring down at the water in culpable uncertainty. "You see what you did?" Sokka cried, "You made him jump!"

A few seconds later, however, it became apparent that Aang hadn't jumped out of despair, but resourcefulness. He broke the lake's pitching surface a few seconds later, perched on the head of the unagi. Sokka, Katara and Zuko's eyes flared wide with awed terror as Aang grasped hold of the long tentacles hanging from the unagi's snout and used them to bridle the sea serpent's infuriated whipping motions. It bucked and swayed wildly, twisting, turning and lunging, but Aang stubbornly held on for dear life.

"He got plenty of practice with that holding onto Appa's tail," Sokka commented to no one in particular.

As they all watched in amazement, Aang gradually bent the massive beast to his will and it finally settled beneath him. When he had gained sufficient control over the animal, he directed its diamond-shaped head towards a burning Kyoshi and gave the tentacles a sharp tug, waiting for the beast to release the spray of water from its mouth. He wasn't disappointed and, within moments, the leaping fires eating through Kyoshi Island were reduced to puffs of billowing steam and smoke. Sokka, Katara and Zuko held simultaneous breaths of relief and amazement. Unaware of his captive audience and satisfied with the results of his handiwork, Aang allowed the unagi to buck him from its head so that he went catapulting high into the air. He landed back safely and smoothly on Appa a second later, who had been circling overhead, as if nothing at all had happened.

His unexpected return was met with gaping incredulity from all three of his companions. "I know…I know…" Aang sighed in anticipation of the caustic criticism he knew was coming, "That was stupid and dangerous."

"Yes, it was," Katara agreed, surprising herself and everyone, but Aang especially when she added almost proudly, "But it was pretty brave too." She favored him with a fond smile. "The circumstances haven't exactly been ideal, but…I'm glad you came with us, Aang."

It was a simple commendation, one small acknowledgment of appreciation, but the meaning behind it was incredibly profound and impossible to ignore. Katara wasn't just paying him a compliment. She wasn't simply being polite or gracious. She was offering him what he had been craving that entire time: friendship.

And though her offer was tentative and unspoken and likely to create a firestorm of controversy because she'd even extended it at all, it was a start, and for Aang…it was enough.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"From now on, we do this my way," Zuko announced intractably, "My bison. My trip. My rules."

The last twelve hours had been perilous and wearisome. Following the attack on Kyoshi Island, they had flown straight through, cutting a path across the Earth Kingdom towards the North Pole, hoping to draw Admiral Zhao after them _and_ lose him at the same time. They accomplished both goals, but not without great cost to themselves. By the time they stopped for the evening, the first time since fleeing Kyoshi that morning, all four teens, bison and lemur were thoroughly exhausted with barely enough energy to set up camp for the evening and enjoy a meager dinner.

However, it was just as they were all beginning to head their separate ways to bed down for the night that Zuko made his statement. There was a certain expectation in his tone that could not be ignored. Albeit with extreme grumpiness, everyone obliged Zuko's unspoken request and returned to their vacated spots, favoring the somber faced Avatar with rapt attention. "I know that sounds harsh," Zuko followed up a moment later, "but I think it's about time we established some ground rules."

"What did you have in mind?" Sokka asked around a broad yawn.

Delving right into the heart of the matter, Zuko declared implacably, "My main objective is to make it to the North Pole so that I can learn waterbending. It's not to have fun," he went on with a meaningful look directed towards Aang, "not to make friends or see new places," he added with yet another at Katara, "but to find a waterbending master so that I can take the first step in fulfilling my destiny."

"We already know this, Zuko," Katara interjected softly.

"I need to you to more than know it," he told her. "I need you to support me, Katara. If you're going to make this journey with me, then you're going to have to do things my way, otherwise…" he let the prelude hang before he finally added, "…maybe I should make it alone."

"Wait. Are you saying you don't want us to go with you?" Sokka balked in whispered surprise.

"That's not it," Zuko reassured him, "I don't have problem with you traveling with me, but I want to have my decisions respected from this point on." He didn't elaborate on how he felt his feelings had been disrespected, but the steady look of resentment he was leveling at Aang right then was more than enough explanation.

Ostensibly unbothered by Zuko's glaring scrutiny, Aang casually fed Momo a handful of berries and before tipping back his head to regard Zuko. "So what you're saying is basically…we do what you want or we can take a hike?" he paraphrased bluntly. "Is that the gist of it?"

"The gist of it is that this is _my_ destiny," Zuko retorted with a narrowed glared. "If you want to come along, you're going to have to play by my rules."

"Good grief," Sokka groaned, "Are you guys going to fight the whole way to the North Pole?"

Aang emitted a short, exasperated laugh. "I don't want to fight," he refuted, "I'm just concerned about the agenda Zuko is pushing, that's all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko flashed out hotly, "What agenda?"

"You say you want to get to the North Pole so you can fulfill your destiny," Aang remarked somewhat disbelievingly, "and I'm sure part of that is true. But, I'm starting to think a bigger part of you just wants to become powerful enough so you can destroy the Fire Nation completely."

"Um…isn't that kind of the point, Aang?" Sokka wondered aloud. "The Fire Nation is the reason this war is even happening. When they're defeated, the war ends. It's as simple as that."

"I don't disagree with that," Aang replied mildly. "The Fire Nation _does_ need to be defeated, _not_ annihilated. Those are two very different things and I'm not sure which goal Zuko has in mind." He met Zuko's irate stare squarely. "Are you out for justice or revenge?" he demanded bluntly. "I need to know who I'm standing behind."

"No one asked you to be here," Zuko pointed out.

"True," Aang conceded, "But after spending the last three years searching for a way to end three generations of selfish dictatorship, I'd rather not help usher in yet another one. You'll forgive me if I'm concerned. So tell me," he pressed on, "what's your motivation, Zuko? Do you want justice for the world or revenge for yourself?"

"What you call revenge, I consider _retribution_," Zuko shot back angrily, "and _those_ are two very different things. Don't my people deserve that? Or should I just put the genocide of my nation aside for the sake of being _fair_ to yours?"

"You're condemning an entire nation for the acts of just a few!" Aang flung out in frustrated allegation.

"You mean kind of like how _your_ great grandfather destroyed all my people just to get to me and your nation just stood by and let it happen," Zuko considered flatly. "I'm sorry if I can't be more sympathetic."

"But you have to be!" Aang retorted, "You talk about your responsibilities as the Avatar, well…being neutral…being _objective_ is part of that!"

"What do you know about it? You don't have the faintest idea what it means to be the Avatar!" Zuko scoffed.

"Neither do you!" Aang fired back, effectively shocking Zuko into silence. He quickly took advantage of the lull, softening his tone when he said, "You've been given an incredible gift, Zuko. You have all the power in the universe at your fingertips and you have to balance that with wisdom and compassion or you'll be no better than the Firelords that perpetuated this war!"

"You're not being fair, Aang," Katara interrupted softly, sympathizing with both their arguments, but understanding Zuko's point of view most clearly. "His entire race was wiped out by the Fire Nation," she went on, "His culture was destroyed. His home was desecrated. That is an incredible loss and he's had less than two weeks to adjust to that. How do you expect him to feel?"

Aang swallowed, mentally counting to ten before he spoke again. "I know it's been hard for him," he sighed after a beat of silence, "and I'm not trying to imply that his loss is a trivial one, but—,"

"Well, if you know it's not trivial then stop trying to tell me how to manage my grief!" Zuko snapped harshly, "I don't expect you to understand what I'm going through! You can't even imagine what it's like waking up every morning and knowing that you are the _last_ of your kind!

"_That's_ my life," Zuko spat out bitterly, "And then I look at you and remember exactly why I'm the last and you have the nerve to sit here and argue on your nation's behalf after that? Just stop it! Maybe it's easy for you to shrug off what your people did and say get over it for the sake of peace or justice or whatever because you're not the one suffering. But I wonder how you would feel if you were in my place," he challenged thickly, "What would you do if you were the last Firebender and _my_ people were the reason? Would you still be preaching about how wrong it is to want revenge or would you want it just as badly as I do?"

"I don't know…" Aang whispered gruffly. "I don't know what I would do or how I would feel and, honestly, I don't ever want to find out. I don't want what happened to your people to happen to mine."

The words, while free of judgment, still had a lacerating effect nonetheless. Zuko actually felt tears burn the back of his throat at the quivering sadness he heard in Aang's tone. He was waging an internal battle within himself, walking a tightrope in his efforts to maintain a balance between what the monks had taught him and the all-consuming hatred that pervaded every pore of his body and thoughts. He was suffocating with hatred for the Fire Nation and for himself. He was dying emotionally. And what was worse, Zuko feared becoming the very thing he despised, and he seemed powerless to stop it.

Zuko didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past. His intentions were pure. He desperately wanted to become the Avatar that Gyatso had believed he could become. But the desire to do the right thing and sentiment could only go so far when the rage inside him was quickly growing into a tangible thing. Like a malevolent entity, it thrived within his heart, alive, breathing and consuming him one piece at a time. He was being swept along in the tide of his bitterness, having lost control the moment he discovered he was alone in the world.

"I've made my feelings clear," he told Aang finally, betraying none of the turmoil rolling around inside him, "if you can't accept that, then you should walk away."

Aang shook his head, disillusioned and determined all at once. "I'm not going to walk away from you," he said. "Eventually, you'll need to learn firebending and I want to be available to you when you're ready."

Zuko nodded his wordless acceptance of that, neither elated nor disappointed by Aang's answer. "Good. We should all get some sleep then. I want to resume our journey at first light."

However, as Aang stretched out on his pallet, he found sleep to be elusive. He was frustrated with himself for not dealing with Zuko better. But more than that, he was frightened and uncertain and feeling a little lost. Even while he heartily disagreed with Zuko's thoughts, he had to admit that the Avatar had made several valid points as well.

On one hand, he honestly couldn't see how repaying the Fire Nation evil for evil would change anything. Such actions wouldn't bring back the Air Nomads or restore the Southern Waterbenders. It would only result in more bloodshed, more bitterness and grief and more death. But, on the other hand, if he were personally faced with the horror of losing his entire nation, Aang honestly didn't know if he could be objective about the whole thing. He would probably thirst for revenge as well.

The hatred would be intense. Considering that, how could he possibly condemn Zuko for feeling what he did? Though Zuko was the Avatar and entrusted with the responsibility of caring for the entire world, at his core he was still made of flesh and blood like everyone else. He was still an angry, lonely, grief-stricken thirteen year old boy and the reality he'd been dealt after a 100 year's sleep was a reality Aang didn't even want to contemplate. He didn't even want to _try_. Who was to say Zuko _had_ to be objective after all that? Did the Fire Nation even _deserve_ objectivity anymore? Aang didn't have the answers.

He didn't know what Zuko should do. He only knew that, were he in the Avatar's place, he'd try to let it go because Aang could recognize that, in punishing the Fire Nation, he'd be punishing himself just as much.

But that was _his_ personal philosophy and who was to say he was right about that either? Despite being the oldest in the group and, presumably, the most world weary, Aang had absolutely no idea what he was doing and the irony was that he'd been planning for this moment since he was 12 years old. But now that he had finally achieved the thing he had dreamed about incessantly for three years, he was failing miserably. He was one of four teenagers on a journey that could literally decide the fate of the whole world and he was likely the only one in the group capable of some small bit of objectivity. However, that wasn't saying much because his objectivity, especially when it came to his nation, would always be chalked up as favoritism. Aang couldn't seem to figure out how to appeal to Zuko without alienating the boy in the process.

He missed his Uncle Iroh.

The former Fire Nation general would definitely know the right things to say to Zuko, just like he'd always known the right things to say to his nephew. Aang desperately needed his brand of calm, simplistic wisdom right about then. What had he been thinking to even consider making this journey without his uncle in the first place? Barely two weeks in and it was already a complete disaster!

Too depressed to sleep and filled with a curious sense of dread, Aang finally gave up the effort and rolled to his feet. Tiptoeing past his slumbering comrades, Aang padded to the outskirts of their campsite and found a secluded spot beneath the foliage of a large, gnarled tree. He folded himself down near the base of it and contemplated the fathomless night before him, waiting and hoping for answers that would not come. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Katara creeping behind him until she was seated right next to him. Surprised and a little wary, Aang acknowledged her with a faint smile.

"Hey," he greeted simply.

"Hey," she replied. "You can't sleep either?"

"I'm normally restless."

"Is it that or are you still thinking about what Zuko said earlier?" Katara pressed intuitively. However, she was already reassuring him before he'd even made a reply. "You can't take what he said to you personally. He's just hurting right now."

"I'm not taking it personally," Aang reassured her. "I know it's not me he has a problem with. I'm a convenient target. I just wish that everything I said to him didn't always come out so wrong."

"It's not you. He's a little hard to know," Katara confided, "Even Sokka and I have a difficult time getting him to let his guard down sometimes. He's trying to protect himself."

"I know that."

"Then you probably know that what you said to him earlier was a little unfair," Katara admonished mildly. She had told him as much previously, but apparently, she felt the subject needed a bit of elaboration and she gave it to him. "You can't just expect him to be automatically impartial about the Fire Nation after what they've done to him. You need to give him some time." Aang nibbled his lower lip pensively, not bothering to defend himself or make excuses because he'd reached that same conclusion on his own earlier. "I'm not sure if you know this, but…my mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid," Katara disclosed.

"I didn't know all the details," Aang told her.

"I was eight when it happened," she whispered, "but it feels like yesterday." She closed her eyes briefly, trembling slightly as if shaking off the bad feelings the memory brought with it. "I think if my mom's death is still that fresh to me, what must it feel like for Zuko?" She turned her head to regard Aang solemnly, her blue eyes glittering in the darkness. "Try to remember that, okay?"

Aang nodded. "I'll remember," he promised gruffly. He expected her to leave him then, but she didn't. Instead, she continued to loiter there, as if she had more to say. Eventually, she whispered his name. "What?"

"I think Zuko was wrong about you too," she said after a few, awkward beats of silence.

"How's that?"

"It's true that there's no way you could understand what Zuko is going through," Katara prefaced, "None of us can understand, but…I doubt you've lived an easy life either." Neither confirming nor denying her theory, Aang merely blinked at her. Checking the impulse to squirm under his steady gaze, Katara blurted, "So, um…are they true?"

"Is what true?"

"The stories I've heard," Katara clarified haltingly, "a-about…well, you know…"

"You mean about my face?" he finished for her kindly.

Katara reddened with shamed embarrassment, dropping her eyes. She picked at the furred fringe of her tunic. "I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she assured him.

"It's okay," he reassured her, "People always have questions. I'm used to it."

Despite the invitation, however, she couldn't quite meet his eyes when she asked, "Did your father _really_ do that to you?" Aang nodded slowly and the confirmation caused sympathetic tears to spring to Katara's eyes. She whimpered a bit. "Oh, Aang, that's terrible." She couldn't imagine her own father ever doing such a thing. She couldn't imagine _either_ of her parents doing such a thing. She had never felt anything but loved and protected with them. It made Katara wonder what kind of horrible household Aang had been raised in if he'd had to endure such cruelty.

He recoiled from the pity he spied in her eyes. "Don't do that," he dismissed lightly, "Don't look at me like I'm a kicked turtleduck. It happened a long time ago and I survived. I try not to think about it much because…well, it kind of bums me out."

"No kidding," she muttered, "But how…" She trailed off into abrupt silence, refraining from voicing the remainder of the question. She wanted to know how he could possibly avoid thinking about it when the reminder was literally branded into his face, but the query seemed rude and so she bit it back.

Aang, though, seemed to intuitively sense where she was going in spite of her silence, yet he wasn't offended. Rather he smiled at her sweetly. "It's pretty awful looking, huh?" he prodded wryly.

"Not so awful," Katara hedged dishonestly.

He laughed at her sugarcoating attempt. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know. I'm sorry," she mumbled in apology. She seemed to be saying that to him a lot, but the need was almost compulsive, especially with him being so good-natured about the whole thing.

"Don't be sorry," he told her. "I made peace with how I look a while back. It's ugly. I know it. I live with it. But this scar doesn't reflect the person I am on the inside, Katara, and it never has."

"I'm beginning to see that," Katara whispered.

He offered her a crooked grin. "Besides," he dismissed flippantly, "once you get to know me better, you'll barely even notice it. I've had people tell me it practically disappears for them. In a couple of weeks you'll be like, 'whoa, what scar?'"

Katara surveyed the ring of puckered, red flesh surrounding his eye and creeping over the ridge of his upper cheekbone, and had a difficult time imagining that it could _ever_ disappear for her. She didn't think that merely because it was disfiguring and stark, but mostly because of how he'd received it. She could _never_ forget that. "Aaah, well…I don't know, Aang…"

"I'm just messing around with you," Aang laughed. "Are you always so serious?"

She gaped at him, as much for his attitude as for the marvelous and amazing way his face transformed when he smiled. The change was radical. He practically glowed. Maybe Aang was right about the scar fading as she got to know him after all. She could believe it was possible. When he smiled like that, it was almost all she could see.

"How do you do that?" Katara wondered, half amazed, half incredulous at his response, "How do you laugh about something so awful?"

"Haven't you figured out by now that I don't take _anything_ seriously, Katara?"

"I don't believe that," she refuted.

"How do you know?" he challenged.

"You spent three years searching for the Avatar, that's why," she answered simply. "You've been all over the world and I can't imagine you were well received, but you never stopped trying. So don't try to fool me. I know there are things you take seriously, Aang."

"Well, maybe a few things…" he conceded with a small smile.

"So how did it happen?" she asked tentatively when quiet finally settled between them. "Did your father just attack you? Was it an accident? Did you have an argument?"

"I guess you could say it was an argument," Aang considered. "Honestly, this," he went on, gesturing to his scar, "was the first time my father and I had ever truly disagreed on anything. I learned the hard way what happens when someone crosses him. That's when I finally realized he wasn't the man I thought he was. Actually, that realization was harder to deal with than the disfigurement."

Katara settled herself against the tree in preparation for his story. "How do you mean?"

"You see, until that day, my father never had anything but encouraging words for me. We actually had a _good_ relationship…once," Aang recounted softly, "I'm somewhat gifted at firebending. By the time I was three, I was at the top of my class. My dad nurtured my talent. He even enlisted my uncle as my private instructor so I could hone my skills. He always encouraged me to practice and he gave me tips on my form. He was never harsh with me…had nothing but high praise for me. He seemed so proud and I wanted to prove to him that I was worthy of that pride. I worked very, very hard to please him.

"I didn't get to see him much," he went on in explanation, "The Firelord is a very busy man so, on the occasions when he was home or when he had time for us, I went out of my way to wow him. My sister and I were always competing for his attention and approval and having it meant everything to us."

"So what happened?"

"I overheard something I didn't like." His expression became distant and preoccupied, as if he was no longer seated next to her on the cliff-side, but instead 12 years old again and about to embark on a course of action that would forever change his life. "I'd always had problems with the war," Aang began softly. "I knew nothing of it from your perspective, but I _could_ see the way it was ravaging my own nation. I had friends whose brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles wouldn't come home for months at a time, sometimes years. Some didn't come home at all," he finished sadly, "Like my cousin Lu Ten. He died during the Siege of Ba Sing Se.

"I couldn't understand why my father, who was supposed to be the most powerful man in the world, couldn't put an end to the war once and for all," Aang went on. "I decided to find out for myself during my father's next war meeting, but when I asked him if I could attend, he said no. He said I was too young and that I needed to focus on my training."

"What did you do?" Katara asked, having a difficult time believing Aang simply left it at that.

That theory clearly played its way across her features and provoked an amused grin from Aang. "What do you think I did?" he countered.

Considering everything she'd learned about him in the short time they'd been acquainted, Katara arrived at the answer rather easily. "You found another way," she said.

"Yep, I did," Aang confirmed with a bittersweet sigh. "I went to my uncle and explained the problem. At first, he tried to discourage me, but I kept pestering him until he relented. Finally, he showed me the secret hiding place he'd had as a boy where he used to listen in on _his_ father's war meetings. He said I could hide there only if I promised to keep quiet, so I promised him.

"What I learned in that meeting turned everything I'd ever believed upside down," Aang revealed, "I learned that day that all those brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and…_cousins_ were expendable to the Fire Nation military. They were a means to an end and nothing more.

"I was horrified and angry, but I kept my promise to my uncle and remained quiet," he recounted, "After it was over though, I went to my father and confronted him about what I'd heard." Aang frowned at the memory. "At first he was annoyed with me, but when he realized I wasn't letting it go, he said I was too young to understand. He said that one day I would see the design behind such decisions when I became Firelord. I told him that I would _never_ be that type of Firelord. I said I would never mistreat my people that way. It was the wrong thing to say to him.

"As far as he was concerned, I had shown him blatant disrespect as his son and as a Fire Nation citizen," Aang told Katara, "He told me that if I had the audacity to question his rule that perhaps it was because I thought I could do better. He challenged me to a firebending duel, an Agni Kai." Katara gasped in horror. "In retrospect, I think he just meant to cow me. I don't think he actually expected me to accept, but I did. I was twelve years old and I was cocky and sure of myself. I thought if I could prove to my father that I had the courage to stand behind my convictions that maybe I could change his mind and get him to see things from my point of view as well. I thought I would earn his respect."

"But you were wrong," Katara concluded gruffly.

"I was very wrong," he confirmed with a nod. "I had basically challenged his sovereignty as ruler before the entire Fire Nation. I had shamed and disgraced our family. He couldn't let that stand. He had to make an example of me. I can understand that intellectually now, but emotionally…I still struggle with the fact he actually went through with it. He came at me like I was his enemy, not his son.

"I remember when it was over and I was on the floor, in absolutely the most excruciating pain of my life, and he came to stand over me. I was crying for him. Even after what he'd just done, I wanted him to comfort me, but he didn't touch me at all. Instead, he leaned over me and said that the only reason he hadn't killed me was for sentiment, because I was his son and he…_loved_ me. But then he told me that if I ever crossed him again, he wouldn't be so generous…and then he walked away."

"Oh, Aang…" Katara uttered, caught between tears and anger over the story. She hurt for him intensely, even as her hatred for the Firelord doubled.

"When I woke up, my uncle was there," Aang continued, "He was crying. Apparently, I'd been out of it for three or four days. I don't really remember. What I do remember is asking for my father. I wanted to know if he'd come to see me and Uncle said he hadn't. I think that's when I made my decision to leave. It wasn't anything I'd really thought about prior to that moment, but when I found out that my father hadn't even come to visit me while I recovered, I had to face what kind of man he was. I knew I couldn't stay there. I told my uncle I wanted to leave and that night, after I said the necessary goodbyes, we left. I haven't been home since."

"What about your mother?" Katara burst out, "Where was she? Why didn't she do anything to stop it?"

"My mother left us when I was ten years old," Aang replied, "just shortly before my father was crowned Firelord."

"That's so awful, Aang."

He noticed the way she was looking at him then, as if he were some lost, lonely, pitiful waif. Aang was as touched by her compassion as he was mildly amused by it. "I told you don't feel sorry for me," he reminded her with a careless smile, "I haven't had a terrible life. I've only had a handful of bad things happen to me, but for the most part, I've been happy. I _am_ happy. I've seen the world and made friends in every place that I've visited. I had the opportunity to see firsthand the ravages this war has caused and it only fueled my determination to find the Avatar."

"And that's exactly what you did," Katara commended him proudly.

"Actually _you_ and _Sokka_ found him," Aang corrected with a grin, "but the end result was the same, so I'm not complaining. I'm grateful for everything that's happened to me."

"You're kidding!" Katara guffawed softly.

"I'm serious," he insisted, "If I'd never challenged my father that day, I probably would have never found out what kind of man he was until it was too late. I definitely wouldn't be here with you guys right now and…" He stared at her, his gaze luminous in the moonlight. "I wouldn't have met you, Katara."

She smiled at him. "I'm glad we met too, Aang," she whispered in reply to his unspoken sentiment. "I…I think things worked out the way they were supposed to. You were meant to be here with us."

Aang glanced over to where Sokka and Zuko still slept, bathed in the ocher light of the flickering fire, one soundly asleep and the other obviously plagued by nightmares. "I think you're right, Katara," he sighed in agreement as he suddenly recognized the greater purpose he had in being there, more than simply teaching the Avatar to firebend. Aang suspected he was there to help him heal emotionally as well. "I was meant to be here."


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"You think if I told Zuko I wanted to take some time to browse the marketplace, he'd bite my head off?" Sokka pondered aloud to his sister as she, he, Aang and Zuko meandered through an Earth Kingdom market in search of food and supplies for their journey.

It had been two weeks of endless flying since Zuko had lain down the law and with hardly a break in between. While Zuko seemed content to keep up such a rigorous and regimented schedule, the steady pace and constant travel was beginning to wear Sokka down. In the beginning, he had wholeheartedly agreed with Zuko. They needed to focus on getting to the North Pole. The one time they'd decided to make a side stop, all chaos had broken loose. It seemed to make more sense to keep their heads down and keep flying.

But then, after a few days and an enlightening conversation with his sister, Sokka had begun reconsidering his position. After all, if they hadn't stopped, they never would have met the people of Kyoshi, they never would have seen the beautiful landscape surrounding the tiny island and, most important of all, they wouldn't have met Suki. Sokka absolutely could not regret meeting her or the Kyoshi Warriors or the opportunity to witness their fighting expertise firsthand. While the straight and narrow path was efficient, the memorable part of the journey was regrettably missed that way. Slowly, but surely, the cocky Water Tribe warrior was beginning to understand the Fire Nation prince's viewpoint on the matter.

Strangely enough, when Sokka had been back home in the South Pole, all he had been able concentrate on was training and preparing for war, exactly as Zuko was now. Sokka's bitterness and resentment had been his drive. He had taken his responsibilities as sole protector of their tiny village very seriously and that had left very little time for fun and adventure. But now that he was on a life changing journey and traveling the world really for the first time in his entire life, all Sokka really wanted to do was enjoy the trip along the way.

The recounted tales of Aang's many escapades during his own world trip with his uncle had more than piqued Sokka's interest. Though Aang had embarked on an important task as well, he'd never allowed his responsibilities to hinder his enjoyment of life or the people around him. In the three years he'd spent away from home, Aang had already experienced and met more people than he had in his entire life as a Fire Nation royal. Now Sokka, lulled by those stories, found himself itching to experience similar adventures. For the first time in his life, he was discovering that there was an entirely different world beyond the South Pole and he wanted to sample all it had to offer.

_And I could, if Zuko would remove the stick from his butt_, Sokka griped inwardly. Sighing in frustration, he gazed longingly after the row of shops they passed along the way. "Maybe we could stop for one, quick look…"

Sympathetic with her brother's plight, but acutely aware of Zuko's feelings on the matter as well, Katara observed the latter where he paused to peruse the food carts. His back and shoulders were rigid with concentration as he inspected fruits and vegetables with cursory efficiency before moving on. "Eh…I wouldn't risk it," she advised her brother after a thoughtful moment, "I'm thinking he just wants to buy the food and get out of here."

"Figures," Sokka muttered under his breath.

Katara refrained from commenting. It's not that she had a problem with Zuko's dogged determination. In fact, she deeply admired his drive and focus. What happened to his people was never far from his mind and it was the catalyst for everything he did and said. Katara knew that, along with the Fire Nation, Zuko held himself personally responsible for what happened to the Air Nomads 100 years before. He felt like he had failed them.

As a result, Zuko took his responsibilities as the Avatar very seriously. He was resolved never to fail again. The knowledge was comforting because Katara had absolutely no doubt that he would accomplish exactly what he set out to do. But she also wondered and worried if, perhaps, he was taking his responsibilities _too_ seriously. He was almost _too_ driven. He seemed to lack the ability to strike an appropriate balance between his duties as the Avatar and being an adolescent.

And that was at the heart of Katara's concern for him. Though he was the Avatar and as such, inarguably, held the most powerful and weighty position in the universe, he was still a thirteen year old boy. It saddened Katara to see him so burdened and sapped of joy at such a young age. He reminded her very much of herself.

Like Zuko, she had become equally driven and focused following the untimely death of her mother. Her father and Sokka had been physically and emotionally lost afterwards. It had been a dismal time in their family. Katara had taken it upon herself to step in and fill the void. No one had asked her to. She had simply squared her shoulders and done what needed to be done. She'd been barely nine years old at the time.

Gran Gran had done what she could, but her advanced age had limited the help she could offer. The responsibilities then had primarily fallen to Katara and she had taken them up without complaint. And, along the way, she'd forgotten that she was only a child. She'd forgotten that life was supposed to be fun and adventurous too. She'd forgotten how to laugh, how to smile and even, sometimes, how to simply relax. Mostly, however, she'd forgotten _how_ to be a kid, that was until an eccentric young man and his uncle dropped into her village with an offer of tea and conversation.

Though life had altered drastically after Katara had found Zuko in the iceberg, it had practically exploded into a stir of unpredictable events after meeting Aang. He was walking, talking trouble and he didn't even _try_ to be. The curious thing about him was that he had just as much reason to be serious as the rest of them, but he rarely was. Aang laughed for the simple joy of it. He found a reason to smile every day. He was as silly and impulsive as he was wise and introspective. He was a mass of contradictions. And because he was, the days spent in his company were never boring. He was young and full of boundless energy and he acted like it. Moreover, he never seemed to let them forget that _they_ were still young too.

Frankly, their little gang needed that reminder because it would have been easy to become bogged down with the momentous prospects ahead of them and lose their drive. Zuko _especially_ needed it. Katara hated to think of how he would suffocate in his own misery if Aang wasn't there to snap him out of it on occasion. Her encouragement seemed to help little. Sokka's sarcasm only served to increase his grumpiness. Only Aang managed to motivate him into action and, even when he was complaining, Katara suspected that deep down Zuko was having fun.

He held the outward appearance of being supremely annoyed by Aang's idiosyncrasies, but Katara had spied rare smiles from Zuko on occasion when he thought no one was looking. She knew he laughed at Aang's lame tea jokes and she suspected that he was growing used to, even fond of the Fire Nation prince's constant presence. Zuko was gradually beginning to thaw where Aang was concerned, even if he didn't admit it out loud.

Currently, however, he was doing an excellent job of masking that fact by rolling his eyes over Aang's lack of attention in picking out food for their journey. While Zuko was diligent about choosing the perfect vegetable, Aang was playing a game of hide the berries with Momo. With his lips curled in a mischievous smile, Aang would show the handful of fruit to Momo, but then quickly close his fist before the lemur could get them. When Momo finally managed to pry Aang's hand open again, the berries had mysteriously disappeared. Each time it happened, Aang chortled with laughter over the lemur's baffled reaction, but Momo grew less and less amused by the game.

"You're going to regret that," Zuko warned him direly.

"Why? What's he going to do?" Aang laughed, "Beat me to death with his tiny paws? He knows I'm just fooling around with him."

Those were the last words Aang uttered before Momo went nuts. He didn't "beat Aang to death" but he did decide to take matters into his own aforementioned paws. Without warning, he dived into Aang's shirt and went on a darting search through his master's clothing for the vanishing berries. With the lemur wreaking havoc inside his shirt and tickling his way across Aang's ribs and chest, Aang broke out into a funny little dance right in the middle of the market-square in his efforts to restrain Momo. In the process, he drew quite a crowd.

Swallowing down her laughter, Katara shook her head at the spectacle he made. _Yup, completely unpredictable_, she thought, _but_…_it was a good thing._

Zuko surveyed the scene with similar feelings, although he was better than Katara at masking his amusement behind a sigh of irritation. "What are you doing?" he demanded, watching Aang skip and jump around like someone demented. "People are starting to stare at us," he added in a hiss from behind clenched teeth.

Aang tossed him a helpless look as Momo scuttled around to his back, before doing an abrupt turn and darting up his spine again. All attempts to subdue the lemur were fruitless and hindered by uncontrollable laughter. "I…I can't reach him!" he gasped desperately, "He's too quick! Help me get him out!"

Growling under his breath, Zuko set aside his staff and reluctantly stepped forward to lend a hand. "I told you not to aggravate him! Can't you just _pretend_ to be normal for one day?" he complained cantankerously. "Would you stop bucking around?"

"I can't help it! He's…tickling…me…!"

"Watch it! You almost elbowed me in the eye!"

"Sorry! Hurry up! He's trying to go down my pants!" Aang went momentarily rigid as Momo hit a particularly sensitive spot. "Those are _not_ the berries you're looking for, Momo!"

Despite the very comical and very odd picture they created, the two boys worked together to get the naughty lemur under control. Meanwhile, both embarrassed and amused, Sokka whistled on the fringes of the gathered crowd, pretending not to know them at all or hear Aang and Zuko's plaintive cries for assistance. Katara, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide the fact she was practically crying with laughter. Zuko settled his pleading gaze on her, but she only laughed harder.

"It seems you two have it well in hand," she called back, giggling, "Carry on." Zuko muttered something under his breath in response to that and, though Katara could not hear him, she could discern it was something decidedly unpleasant. His reaction only provoked further amusement. Her ribs fairly ached with mirth.

"Why do you get him so worked up like that?" Zuko growled again in mounting frustration before Aang finally managed to put an end to Momo's darting adventure.

"He's needs to have more time to roam around," Aang explained breathlessly to Zuko, "These ten minute breaks we've been taking every six hours or so aren't cutting it. Momo's a ball of pent up energy."

Zuko crossed his arms defiantly, sensing the unspoken rebuke in Aang's reply. "I already told you that you have a choice. No one's twisting your arm and making you stay."

"Oh, would you save the speech?" Aang groaned. "I'm not questioning your decisions, okay! I'm only explaining to you why Momo is so worked up. We play this game all the time and he's never gone this crazy." He set Momo away from him and held him at eye level so that he could fix the lemur with a stern look. "You have been very bad today," Aang scolded him. "I'm disappointed in you."

Not the least bit contrite, however, Momo chattered at Aang furiously in response, waving his paws wildly for emphasis, apparently as displeased with his master as his master was displeased with him. "I know, I know," Aang sighed apologetically, "You're right. I never should have toyed with your affections where food is concerned. I shouldn't have teased you and I'm sorry." Momo chittered his forgiveness. "It'll never happen again," Aang swore.

Afterwards, he reached into his pocket and produced the bag of berries Momo had been searching for. He handed it over to the lemur. "You deserve it," he said. Momo purred with happy contentment. "Now if I sit you down," Aang prefaced as he bent low to the ground to do just that, "you have to promise to behave yourself and not run off like you've been doing the past few days. Do we have a deal?" Momo's large, green eyes flashed sincerely. Unfortunately for Aang, however, his lemur was a terribly deceptive creature. Almost the second his paws touched the ground, Momo was gone.

Sokka and Katara came to stand alongside Aang as he speechlessly stared after the dust trail Momo had left in his wake. "Yeah, I sooo didn't see that coming," Sokka commented sarcastically. "Did you not learn anything from the previous _three_ times?"

"You weren't joking…he really _is_ wound up," Zuko observed hazily as he stooped to retrieve his staff. "That was definitely faster than yesterday."

"I didn't even know he could move that fast," Katara considered in admiration.

"After that lemur!" Aang charged.

On the other side of the marketplace, a hapless cabbage merchant sensed the calamity coming his way and glanced up. The first thing he saw was the darting lemur, half flying, half scuttling through the square at break-neck pace. And then he saw the four teenagers barreling after the little monkey and he knew good things weren't headed his way. The ground fairly trembled as they pounded towards him. When lemur darted over his cabbage cart and through the alley, the merchant knew he had to act. He stepped in front of his produce, determined to protect his cabbages from the catastrophe that was about to unfold. The teens didn't slow their gait one iota.

Fairly quaking with dread, the cabbage merchant held out his arms to stave them off. "No, no, no, no, no," he chanted, "No, no, no, no, no!"

As the first boy sailed over his cart with acrobatic grace, he screwed his eyes shut, unable to witness the horror as it unfolded. But the boy was so swift and fluid that he didn't even touch the cabbages. He passed by, leaving nothing more than a wafting breeze in his wake. A billowing sigh of relief escaped the merchant, which all too soon dissolved into a cry of absolute horror as the remaining three clipped and jostled the edge of his cart and sent all his beautiful cabbages rolling throughout the square. The last thing Aang heard as he turned around to throw out a passing apology to the merchant was a plaintive wail of, "MY CABBAGES!"

Seconds later, the merchant quickly forgotten, the four teens skidded to a stop within twenty feet of the harbor. They quickly scanned the area for Momo, but didn't catch sight of him. He had seemingly disappeared into the milling sea of patrons that surrounded them.

"Where'd he go?" Aang wondered worriedly.

Sokka glanced over at the row of docked ships lining the harbor. He pointed in that direction. "Maybe he went onboard one of those," he considered.

"Which one?" Katara asked.

Almost immediately after she asked the question, Zuko spied a telltale swish of white from a nearby gangplank. "There he is!"

They gave chase and the second Momo realized they were on to him, he ran up the plank and scurried into the ship. The kids darted after him, only to find their paths blocked unexpectedly when a smarmy looking pirate barker stepped in front on them. "Well, hello there, young travelers," he greeted with an oily smile, "You strike me as the types who would be interested in artifacts and exotic curios. We have a boundless supply to choose from." He reached out to finger the collar of Zuko's tunic. "Perhaps from the Air Nation?" he prodded meaningfully. "You seem to have an interest in that culture."

With a sneer of distaste, Zuko smacked his hand away. "Actually, we're looking for our lemur," he informed the barker abruptly. He nodded towards the ship behind the barker. "He's up there. We'll just get him and be on our way."

"By all means," the barker said, stepping from their path with a grand, sweeping gesture, "And please, feel free to look around after you've retrieved your lemur."

"That guy was creepy," Katara mumbled when they were out of earshot.

"Let's just get Momo and get out of here," Sokka said.

However, upon stepping into the ship, the four found themselves momentarily distracted by the plethora of goods inside. The barker had not been exaggerating about their "boundless supply." Even Zuko, who was usually indifferent to those sorts of things, was left gaping. He propped his staff against the wall so that he could get a closer look. As he, Sokka and Katara drifted throughout the ship with awed "oohs" and "ahhs," Aang went off in search of Momo.

He found him a few seconds later, perched on the shoulder of a fearsome looking pirate wearing a wide brimmed, black hat. The pirate, evidently the captain, was situated behind a makeshift wooden counter and eyeing Aang with a daggered glare. Aang gulped, swallowing down the natural intimidation he felt at the sight of the bigger, sinister looking man. "Um, excuse me, sir…that's my lemur," he informed the pirate, clearing his throat several times along the way.

The pirate flashed him a smile that was more of a sneer. "That a fact, boy?" he challenged.

"Yeah, it is."

"And if I told you this rabbit monkey has been in my family for generations?"

"I'd know you were lying," Aang countered before he'd even finished the sentence.

"Don't suppose there'd be a way for you to prove it now, eh?" the pirate countered, the corner of his mouth curled into a sneering smile.

Aang sighed and uttered one, simple command. "Momo, get over here." Without a moment's hesitation, Momo obediently jumped from the pirate's shoulder onto Aang's. "See?"

Plainly unhappy with the results, the pirate grunted and fixed Aang with a threatening glower. "You should do a better job with keeping him bridled," he told Aang. "There are plenty of people who would be happy to take him off of your hands."

"I'll keep that in mind," Aang replied, tucking Momo closer into the crook of his neck.

"He's a fine specimen," he observed, eyeing Momo almost greedily. "He could fetch me a good price, if you're interested in bartering."

Momo crouched down low against Aang, whimpering a bit. Aang reached up to rub his ears reassuringly. "Sorry," he said, though there was absolutely no regret in his tone, "He's not for sale."

The pirate grunted again. He started to open his mouth to argue that everything was for sale when Zuko suddenly elbowed his way past Aang and spread a whole array of items onto the narrow table. Closer inspection revealed that the items were things of very little value: a hand carved necklace and a small, earthen bowl with an intricate portrait of flying bison painted on the outside of it. "Where did you get these things? Did you steal them?" Zuko interrogated rudely.

"What's it to you, little man?" the pirate captain challenged.

"These came from the Air Temples!" Zuko bit out accusingly. He banged his fist against the table, rattling it noisily. "How did you get them? I demand to know right now!"

"I'm a procurer of many things," the pirate answered evasively. He stroked his chin. "If you're interested in purchasing them, I'd be willing to sell them to you for a decent wage."

Zuko growled in fury and prepared to launch himself at the captain, but Aang quickly caught hold of his collar and stopped him before he could do something rash. With one arm Aang swept up the Air Nomad artifacts and with the other he hooked Zuko around his upper arms and dragged the ranting boy over to the nearest corner. Only when he was absolutely sure Zuko was not going to fly off the handle did Aang release him.

"That almost got ugly. I don't think you want to make trouble with these guys," Aang warned him.

"I'm not afraid of them!" Zuko ground out.

"I know you're not afraid of them," Aang laughed, "That's the problem."

"You don't understand!" Zuko exploded, yanking the items from Aang's arms, "These things are from the _Air_ _Temples_! This," he spat, holding up the necklace, "was only worn by the higher monks. It was a symbol of great authority and respect! This," he continued, thrusting forward the painted bowl, "is a ceremonial vessel, used to hold the ink dye for when an Airbender becomes a master! The monks would _never _trade these items! They had to have stolen these things! They're sacred things, Aang! They're all that's left of my people and they're being sold here as if they're…they're common!"

"I know you're angry about this and you should be," Aang acknowledged softly, "but you don't want to do something you'll regret. The monks probably wouldn't be happy to know their belongings are being sold here, but," he added, the memory of what Zuko could unleash when he was angry still fresh and clear in Aang's mind, "…they also probably wouldn't want you to go all glowy with fury on the guy because of it either." The mild reminder served to quell Zuko's rush of rage. He was still unhappy, but he recognized the wisdom in Aang's argument.

Though it took considerable effort, he checked his temper and inhaled a deep, calming breath. "Better," Aang commended.

"I hate this," Zuko muttered.

"And you should, but it won't be like this forever," Aang whispered sympathetically. "Let's just find Sokka and Katara and get out of here," he suggested, "I don't like the way that pirate keeps looking at Momo."

"Fine," Zuko agreed in a grumble. "I'll get Katara. You find Sokka." He turned down the adjacent aisle and found Katara deeply engrossed in something. When she sensed his presence, she quickly beckoned him closer.

"You have to see this, Zuko!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Look! It's an authentic waterbending scroll!" Zuko stepped closer for inspection, noting the detailed drawings depicting figures in progressive waterbending forms. Each illustration showed the bender the particulars of the movement from start to finish. "We could learn so much from this," Katara considered aloud, "Much more than what I've been able to teach you so far." It was a running joke with her brother that Zuko would, at least, be an excellent water twirler by the time they reached the North Pole.

Katara smiled to herself, anxious to change that. She fingered the scroll longingly. "I wonder how much it costs."

"More than we have," Zuko answered flatly.

"Well, I wonder how they got it."

"Probably the same way they got these things," Zuko replied bitterly, nodding to the bowl and necklace in his hands.

"What are you saying? Do you think they stole this stuff?" Zuko shrugged, but his non-answer was as definitive as any verbal affirmation. "Well, in that case…" Katara said, craning a furtive look down one end of the aisle and then the other before casually stuffing the scroll down her tunic.

"Katara! What are you doing?" Zuko hissed incredulously.

"Well, if they stole it, then technically I'm not taking anything that belongs to them anyway," Katara reasoned slyly. When he continued staring at her in open-mouthed shock, she added a little defensively, "Zuko, we need this scroll. The more waterbending training you receive before we reach the North Pole, the better."

"I'm not arguing with you," Zuko replied, "In fact, I agree. I just never knew you had this bad girl, rebellious streak in you." Her devious reasoning was something Zuko found intriguing and he actually, unbelievably smirked at her because of it. "I think I like this new side to you, Katara. It's working for me." After a few sneaky looks of his own, Zuko pressed the Air Nation artifacts into her arms. "Here, help me put them down my shirt."

A few moments later they rounded the corner, trying not to appear suspicious, and found Sokka and Aang waiting, rather impatiently, for them at the entrance. "What took you so long?" Sokka complained, passing Zuko his staff.

"We were still looking around," Katara brazened. She and Zuko exchanged a secret look, both biting back self-satisfied smiles, which became looks of discomfort when they noticed Aang's penetrating stare. "What?" Katara barked defensively.

Aang shrugged. "I don't know. You're the one who's acting weird."

"Well, who cares?" Sokka replied, ushering them all down the gangplank, "Let's get out of here. This place isn't safe. Did you guys know it was run by pirates?"

"No," Aang, Zuko and Katara chorused simultaneously, "Really?"

Sokka narrowed his eyes over their mocking tones. "You know, I'm sensing a lot of sarcasm from you guys…"

However, his good natured grumbling was abruptly brought to a halt when the pirate barker they'd met before suddenly shouted from behind them, "Hey you kids! Get back here!"

Aang turned back slightly to regard the pursuing pirate. "Is there a problem?"

Katara tugged his sleeve anxiously. "Don't ask questions," she advised quickly, already dragging him along behind her. "Just run."

He scowled at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard her," Zuko exclaimed, giving the young Firebender a shove as a dozen more pirates emerged from the ship to join the barker, "Run!"


	11. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Back from vacation. Hope you guys are still enjoying this.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Admiral Zhao was not pleased.

For two weeks he had been tirelessly tracking the Avatar and Fire Nation prince, but he always found himself two steps behind them. Though his Fire Navy vessel was swift and efficient in the water, the Avatar's bison easily and often outran them on land. Much to his misfortune, not only had news of the Avatar's return reached Firelord Ozai's ears, but he was aware that his son and heir was traveling with him as well. As a result, Ozai had put an incredible amount of pressure on Zhao, not merely to capture the Avatar and Prince, but to bring them back to the Fire Nation capital. Zhao was acutely aware of the fact that he was operating on borrowed time. Firelord Ozai was not a man known for his patience or his understanding. This was not a mission Zhao could afford to fail.

The added stress proved not to be a good thing for Zhao or his men. With the mounting pressure exerted by Ozai, Zhao then applied double pressure to his crew. In his determination to succeed, he pushed them to the brink. As a result, his men were as exhausted and cranky as he was. However, Zhao could not concern himself with coddling them. He had built a reputation on his ruthlessness and efficiency. He had gained the Firelord's favor because of it. He was absolutely unwilling to let all that slip away because his former prince and the Avatar were determined to play a game of hide and go seek.

Because of the time crunch, Zhao had only brought his ship into harbor for two specific reasons: food and coal. With that in mind, he quickly dispatched several soldiers to carry out the search, scrutinizing their movements closely as they disappeared into the crowd. He was in the process of brainstorming the Avatar's next stop when his ears inadvertently picked up on a nearby conversation. The exchange was so raucously obnoxious that it was difficult to ignore. Still, Zhao only half listened to it as he was preoccupied with weightier matters.

"Did you get the goods back?"

"No. We just missed them."

"What do you mean you missed them? That scroll alone was worth 200 gold pieces! Who knows what we could have gotten for the bowl and necklace? How did _all four_ of them manage to escape you idiots _on foot_? They were just a bunch of kids!"

"B-But they weren't on foot, Captain…they all hopped on the bald kid's glider and flew away!"

The grating conversation grew louder and louder and was proving to be incredibly distracting, especially when the group was only a few short feet away from Zhao. However, what caught his attention wasn't the intolerable volume of their inane prattle, but the mention of a _flying, bald kid_. Zhao's senses instantly prickled.

"This bald child," he remarked, unapologetically inserting himself into their conversation, "was he, perhaps, traveling with a boy who had a scar on his face?"

The flash of surprise in the pirate captain's eyes told Zhao all he needed to know. Unaware that he had given himself away, though, the pirate captain made an attempt at blustering bravado. He raked Zhao with a menacingly glance. "What's it worth to you to find out?"

No sooner had he voiced the question than his cheek was blistered by the searing heat of a surging fireball. It barreled past him into a nearby cart with a low explosion, igniting the entire thing in a crackling burst of flames. The small port exploded with panic, with patrons running to the left and right in an effort to duck for cover. The group of pirates regarded Zhao with wide, horrified eyes.

"Now I ask again," he reiterated smoothly, "was he traveling with someone? A disfigured boy?"

"Yes! Yes, he was," the pirate captain provided quickly, now prepared to spill all he knew relevant or not, "There were four of them, in fact! Two Water Tribe kids, the scarred boy and the bald kid! They had a flying lemur and…and they stole several goods from us!"

"Really?" Zhao considered with a slow smile of satisfaction, "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

****

"Taa daa!"

"I should have known," Sokka grumbled when Katara pulled the waterbending scroll from her tunic, "I knew there was a reason those pirates were chasing us! Did you steal that from them?"

They had made a narrow escape. After being trapped in an alley, closed off on either side by the pirate bandits, they'd had no other choice but to hop on Zuko's glider with him and fly out of there. The pickup had been a little difficult for Zuko. He'd never had any trouble managing his glider when he was alone, but three extra people proved to require monumental effort from him. In the end, it had taken a jetting expulsion of hot fire from the soles of Aang's feet to propel them into the sky. Once they were airborne, he and Aang had worked in tandem to keep them that way. They'd reached the safety of their camp, a spot they had chosen along the banks of a local river, a short while later. Only when the adrenaline from their flight had faded did Katara reveal the reason they'd needed to run at all.

"It's a waterbending scroll, Sokka," Katara explained quickly, "I didn't have a choice! Zuko and I need it so we can learn proper waterbending!"

"Besides, it wasn't theirs in the first place," Zuko added, producing his own booty and laying it out before them. "They probably stole that scroll from a Waterbender, just like they stole these things from the Air Temples."

"Aww, not you too!" Sokka cried melodramatically. He dropped his face into his hands with a long-suffering groan. "Good grief, I'm surrounded by thieves and fugitives!"

"It doesn't matter," Aang interjected, "What's done is done and we got away safe." Katara favored him with a grateful smile as he added, "Katara and Zuko have the scroll now. They might as well practice."

Upon realizing that he didn't even have _Aang_ in his corner, Sokka narrowed his eyes. "You all sicken me," he hissed with a haughty lift of his chin. He rolled to his feet. "Come, Momo," he declared with a dignified sniff, "We shall not sully ourselves in the presence of these reprobates! Let us away!" Zuko, Aang and Katara watched with amused smirks, eye rolls and outright laughter as Sokka and Momo walked off, their noses held high in the air.

"Now that that's done," Katara dismissed smoothly after Sokka had gone, "Let's gets started on some waterbending!"

They…were…terrible.

For nearly an hour, Aang had sat cross-legged on the bank and watched them and that was the only conclusion that he could draw. The first fifteen minutes he had managed to hold his tongue even though they weren't shifting their weight through their stances properly and even while their breathing was too shallow and quick. They were strong and determined so Aang didn't doubt that eventually they'd get it.

They did NOT get it. Their growing frustration with themselves only further impeded their bending. They were, in essence, proving to be their own worst enemies.

Eventually, Aang could hold his tongue no longer and he finally called out some advice to them in the hopes of aiding their process. The first couple of times, they took it in stride with only a few looks of mild exasperation. By the time he was on his feet, a _Firebender_, demonstrating to them the proper stances for _waterbending_, they completely lost their patience with him. He was summarily told to shut his air hole by them both. The general consensus was that he didn't know what he was talking about and that his suggestions were uninformed and unwelcome. That was the last Aang had to say about it.

When the first hour began drawing to a close with very little improvement from either one of them, Sokka moved to settle down beside Aang to witness their continuing failure with a wide grin of unconcealed pleasure. "It's exactly what they deserve," he mumbled, "The little thieves!"

"I tried to help them out," Aang said, "but they just bit my head off."

"It's what you deserve too," Sokka threw back unsympathetically, "for backing them up in their thievery." Aang rolled his eyes. "Yup…that's our hope for the free world right there," Sokka observed further as Zuko tried, unsuccessfully, to execute the water whip and, during the process, inadvertently whacked Momo in the bottom with the tail end of it. The little monkey went scurrying to safety with a loud yelp of protest.

"Why can't I get this stupid move?" Zuko growled in frustration.

"Here let me try it," Katara offered. Unfortunately, her attempt yielded similar results to Zuko's. Frustrated, Momo forsook the shoreline altogether and took refuge in the branches of a nearby tree, chittering his displeasure the entire way.

Aang and Sokka exchanged an uncertain look full of dread. "This isn't going to end well for us, is it?" the young prince pondered aloud.

"Nope," Sokka agreed simply. "I think not."

"He'll get the hang of it eventually," Aang declared optimistically, though his tone maintained a tentative edge.

Sokka watched as Zuko's latest attempt to master the whip ended with a gigantic, watery splash. The thirteen year old literally stomped out his aggravation on the bank. "Sure he will, Aang…I can sense that mastery is just around the corner," Sokka mocked dryly.

"Well, at least we've had a chance to relax," Aang said. He reclined back into the ground and stacked his hands behind his head, closing his eyes with a soft, contented sigh. "I'm just going to lie here and listen to the water."

Regrettably, just as Sokka was about to agree with that sentiment and follow his example, something alarming caught his attention. "I'm starting to think you shouldn't say stuff like that, Aang…" he began in a trembling tone, raising an arm to point into the distance, "You jinxed us."

Aang turned his head in the direction Sokka indicated, groaning inwardly at what he saw. The Fire Nation clipper surged down the river at incredible speed, jetting out puffs of black smoke as it made its unrelenting approach. Aang immediately scrambled to his feet, mildly panicked. "It's Zhao," he determined upon closer inspection of the approaching vessel, "Everybody get on Appa now!"

"How did he even find us?" Katara cried as she and Sokka made a desperate grab for their belongings scattered along the bank before making a run for Appa. "Is he part bloodhound fox?"

However, while everyone else had sprung into activity in preparation for retreat, Zuko resolutely stood his ground. "No. I'm not running again."

Aang whipped around to face him in gaping incredulity. "You want to _face_ him?"

"I ran from him on Kyoshi, but I won't do it this time."

"Are you nuts?" Aang cried, "He has a complete arsenal at his disposal! We've got us and Sokka's boomerang!"

"I don't care," Zuko replied evenly, seemingly unaffected by the clipper bearing down on them with ferocious speed, "I know exactly what I'm doing. If we run, he'll follow us and it will just keep happening over and over and over. I want to end this right now."

Although his training and upbringing as an Air Nomad dictated that he retreat in order to avoid a confrontation, Zuko's headstrong obstinacy would not allow him to meekly turn the other cheek this time. He struggled with the knowledge that, in that moment, he was dismissing everything the monks had ever taught him while simultaneously acknowledging with the reality that the monks were no longer there to guide him. Moreover, considering that his entire race had been wiped from the face of the world, Zuko had to question whether their philosophies on violence and deadly force had been wise after all. The irrefutable fact was: the Air Nomads no longer existed and the Fire Nation roared on.

Zuko was alone now, accountable to no one but himself. He had to make the decisions he thought was right. If Zhao wanted to keep coming after him, then that was fine, but Zuko would stand and defend himself and he'd make no apologies for it.

"Aang! Zuko!" Sokka called anxiously from atop Appa's saddle, "You wanna get over here? Hello! Imminent death approaches!"

Rather than answering Sokka, however, Aang regarded Zuko with a penetrating stare. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Zuko bobbed a terse nod. "I'm sure."

Though it was evident Aang clearly thought the decision was suicide, he didn't turn his back on Zuko. In fact, he squared his shoulders with a deep, determined breath. "I'll stand with you then," he vowed.

That resolve was put to the test mere seconds later when a flaming boulder crashed into the center of their camp and set it alight. As the area erupted into noisy flames, the four teens sprang into decisive action. While the boys ran up the river bank to intercept Zhao's men, Katara hopped down from Appa and did her best to bend water up from the river onto the shore in order to abate the flames. Momo did his part as well, filling Aang's helmet with water and dousing out little fires where he could. More flaming boulders careened into the camp.

In an effort to stop the attacks, Aang shot forth a flaring line of fire at the bow of the ship and set it on fire. As he anticipated, Firebenders came pouring out of the smoking heap mere seconds later. While the deckhands scrambled to control the blaze Aang had caused, their counterparts emerged blasting.

Three soldiers charged Zuko immediately. Eyes narrowed, he launched himself into the air on a column of wind and delivered a sweeping roundhouse kick that sent the first two tumbling back in a confused tangle of arms and legs. The last Zuko swept off his feet with a gliding current of air. The Firebender sailed high and came crashing back to earth seconds later, landing on his back with a bone crushing thud.

While those three struggled to recover, another two set their sights on Sokka. He instinctively ducked the incoming attack of the first one, covering his head reflexively and inadvertently tripping his assailant so that the Firebender tripped over him went tumbling head over heels. Surprised by the turn of events, but recovering quickly, Sokka clipped the second Firebender in the knee with the heavy end of his hand crafted club, taking him to the ground. With the Firebender's keening howl of pain echoing in his ears, Sokka ducked and dodged a similar path through the approaching storm of soldiers, clubbing the enemy whenever and wherever he could.

In the center of it all, Aang and Zhao faced off with one another yet again. "How can you even bear to show your face among these men?" Zhao spat out in disgust, "You're a traitor to your own people!" He punctuated that harsh accusation by blasting a storm of fire from both fists at Aang, igniting everything within the trajectory to his target as he did.

Aang brought his forearms up and together to block the attack and then surged through the crackling wall in a bounding flip. "I'm doing this _for_ my people," he retorted as he vaulted forward, kicking off a series of rapid fireballs from the bottom of his feet as he flipped forward, "Who are _you_ fighting for, Zhao?" He regained his footing with the last word of that question so that he and Zhao were standing practically nose to nose.

Growling with fury, Zhao attacked again, arcing his arm fist forward in a vicious, fiery uppercut. Yet again, Aang blocked him, simultaneously punching his fist forward into Zhao's midsection. The Admiral grunted, but did not relent. They traded off blow after blow of deadly bending, with Zhao igniting the surroundings and Aang desperately attempting to abate the flames _and_ subdue Zhao at the same time. In the center of a fiery ring, they circled one another like two caged lions. Zhao knew that he would never be able to out-bend the gifted, young prince but, he concluded as he surveyed the surrounding trees and brush, he could distract him enough to defeat him that way.

Zhao's eyes narrowed with dangerous intention, but before he could carry out his destructive plan he was abruptly knocked aside by a sharp blast of wind. He made painful, smacking contact with the trunk of a nearby tree before slumping to the ground with a low groan. When he finally managed to push himself upright, he discovered the Avatar, the prince and their Water Tribe friend closing in on him.

"Give it up, Zhao," Zuko commanded implacably. "You're surrounded now!"

"Guess again, Avatar!" Zhao spit back as refreshed troops began pouring from the recently doused clipper, "It would seem that _you_ are the one who is surrounded." He smirked at Zuko defiantly. "What are you going to do now, _boy_?" Zhao sneered at Zuko, gaining confidence as his troops closed in. "Why would I fear a weak, pathetic little Airbender like you? You're nothing! Just like your people were nothing!"

Pushed to the brink, Zuko emitted a low growl of fury and drew back his arm, driven by the deep seeded need to shut Zhao up and wipe the smile off his face. However, before he could deliver the blow the air around them suddenly rumbled with the stiff, rushing sound. Seconds before the wall of wind slammed into them, Zuko automatically encased himself and his friends in a protective bubble of air. As everyone and everything outside of that bubble was rocked by the gale force wind created by Appa's mighty tail, Zuko, Aang and Sokka managed to stay in place. The river billowed and surged with the wind, upsetting Zhao's clipper and almost capsizing it.

Katara landed Appa directly in front of them a few seconds later. "Hurry up and get on," she commanded anxiously.

As the others quickly scrambled up onto Appa's back, Zuko hesitated. He turned back to deliver a powerful gust of wind, creating another turbulent wave on the water, which managed to overturn Zhao's already unsteady vessel completely. The heavy hunk of metal heaved and bobbed before turning onto its side. The ship immediately began taking on water.

After a long, lingering look at his deed, Zuko turned away, his features hardened with resolved satisfaction. Finally, he bended himself atop Appa's head. The entire time Zuko could feel his friends' worried stares boring into his back, but he made a conscious effort not to turn around and address them. Instead, he swept up Appa's reins and sent them airborne with a sharp command of "yip, yip."

****

The messenger approached the Firelord's throne room fairly quivering with fear. He paused at the entrance to take a massive gulp of air for fortitude and utter a quick prayer to the spirits to preserve him. When he was sufficiently composed, he entered with his head respectfully bowed.

Shooting flames concealed the Firelord's face from the messenger's eyes, not that he would have dared to meet his majesty's gaze even if it were not so. He fell to his knees before the throne and prostrated himself. "My lord," he began humbly, "I bring word to you from Admiral Zhao."

"What news from Zhao? Can I expect him soon?"

After clearing his throat several times, the messenger replied meekly, "Th-There h-have been s-some delays…"

"What kind of delays?" The Firelord's indignant hiss accelerated the flames before his throne, filling the large, spacious room with baking heat.

"Admiral Zhao's efforts to reacquire your son and capture the Avatar have met with some challenges, my lord," the messenger explained quickly.

"Zhao is an incompetent idiot!" Ozai fired in displeasure, "I suppose taking two _children_ into custody is too large a task for him!"

"He sends word that he is doubling his efforts, majesty," the messenger squeaked.

"Enough with his efforts," Ozai declared softly. "Take this message to Admiral Zhao. Tell him that his duties, until further notice, are to handle the small uprisings taking place in the Earth Kingdom…if he can manage it! When he proves to me that he can accomplish those small tasks then perhaps I will trust him with greater responsibility!"

"And…and the Avatar and p-prince, my lord?" the messenger queried shakily.

Ozai narrowed his eyes at the messenger's presumptuousness. "I have someone more qualified in mind to complete that task," he spat pointedly, "Someone who will not disappoint me again and again. Now go! Get out of my sight and deliver my message!"

"Yes, my lord."

After the messenger had excused himself, genuflecting compulsively the entire way, a lone, lean figure stepped from the shadows of the Firelord's throne room and leaned casually into one of the supporting pillars. "When do you expect me to leave?"

"Gather a team of your choosing," Ozai commanded, "You are to serve as my emissary. Make sure you have all you need for the journey and _do not_ return home without them."

"As you wish…_my lord_."

"And Azula?" the Firelord added as she started to turn away and exit the room. For a moment, her heart knocked in her chest in the wild expectation that he would finally recognize her for something more than just his glorified flunky. She held her breath, slowly pivoting back to face him. Once she had, he finally spoke, but not the words she had been hoping to hear. "Bring him back. Do not fail me."

She didn't have to ask which "him" he meant. Even with the Avatar returned, Azula knew her brother still managed to take precedence where the Firelord's attention was concerned. She hated Aang for that, but…she hated the man before her even more.

"Don't worry, Father," she promised with a menacing smile, "I'll make sure that we _all_ get what we want."


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

"No. Hold your arms a little higher. Now spread your feet further apart." She smiled at him warmly, her blue eyes twinkling in the low, hazy light of sunset. "Now you've got it."

Aang observed as Katara patiently showed Zuko where to place his arms and legs for the waterbending form they were practicing. In the days since they'd escaped Zhao, she and Zuko had made a great deal of progress in their bending. Now that they were both learning to relax, they were finding it easier to manipulate the water. Their bending had become more fluid and confident. And, as they improved together, they naturally became closer, teasing each other with the frequent snags that came up during the learning process. Aang had even glimpsed Zuko smiling once or twice. Through their common goals to become master Waterbenders, they discovered they suffered similar impediments and shared similar drives. In many ways, they were very alike.

However, rather than making Aang happy to see them progressing so far, so quickly and bonding as they did so, he instead found himself stabbed with surprising and unexpected pangs of jealousy. The realization aggravated him because he didn't want to be jealous. He wasn't a jealous person…or at least, he hadn't been before. He didn't want to be pricked all over with twinges of envy and spite whenever Katara and Zuko spoke or laughed together. He didn't want to be bothered by the time they spent together or resent the closeness they shared. But he did and he was.

Those feelings hadn't come on suddenly either, much like his realization that he liked Katara as _more_ than a friend hadn't been sudden. Just as he had daily, unconsciously become enthralled with the pretty Waterbender's smile and gentle, nurturing nature, he had also found himself being slightly annoyed by anything or _anyone _who diverted her attention away from him. The realization made him feel childish and petty. What had begun as mere flashes of irritation or eye rolls whenever Katara and Zuko shared an inside joke or dissolved into water play rather than _waterbending_, had progressed to teeth grinding and muttering under his breath whenever they were close.

In the beginning, he'd thought their deepening friendship to be rather sweet. Katara was so protective and sheltering of Zuko, almost as a sister would be for a little brother. Aang could relate to that because he harbored similar protective feelings for the Avatar. But when the time Zuko spent with Katara gradually began to outpace the time Aang spent with her, suddenly that sibling scenario didn't work for Aang anymore. He began to seriously wonder if Katara saw Zuko as a brother, a dear friend or something much more than that.

Zuko wasn't the issue for Aang. He was oblivious to most anything that didn't include his training and getting to the North Pole. It wasn't uncertainty over the Avatar's feelings that left Aang twisted internally with jealousy and confusion. He wanted to discover what was in Katara's heart. He wanted to know what _Katara_ wanted.

In the logical portion of his brain that was still functioning, Aang knew he was being ridiculous and arbitrary. He had absolutely no claims on Katara. They were friends and that was all. In fact, she had never once given him any indication that she saw him as anything more than a good buddy. Yes, they talked frequently and there were no secrets between them, but wasn't that the way it worked with all good friends? So why was it driving him insane that she was laughing with Zuko, spending time with Zuko and _touching_ Zuko?

Aang emitted an inward growl of intensifying frustration. It wasn't as if Katara was the first pretty girl he'd ever encountered or even _liked_ for that matter. He had several crushes in his life, both mutual and one-sided. In fact, of all the girls he'd known, she wasn't even the prettiest, the smartest or even the most sophisticated.

So why did being in her presence make his palms sweat and his chest ache? Why did he have that dizzy, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever she was close to him? Why did he look at her and feel like he'd found home? Why couldn't he shake the instinctive, pervasive feeling that they were connected in some inexplicable, primal way? Why did thoughts of her continue to invade his brain even when he made every effort to concentrate on other things?

The questions were seemingly endless and, quite frankly, driving him nuts! He was only doubly frustrated because he didn't have an answer to a single one of them. Matters were made worse as Katara moved behind Zuko to take hold of his arms so that she could personally demonstrate the manner in which to make the water flow. Aang knew he couldn't sit there another second. If he did, he was going to totally lose it.

Abruptly, he surged to his feet, inadvertently drawing the attention of the entire camp when he did. Even Appa and Momo stared at him expectantly. "I'm going for a swim," he declared awkwardly.

"Um…kay," Sokka drawled, unable to fathom why he'd made the announcement at all when the water was less than two feet away. He could literally take three steps and be there. "You do that. Thanks for sharing."

Catching the strange look and belatedly realizing the reason for it, Aang clarified, "Downstream. I'm going to swim downstream."

"Downstream?" Katara echoed, "Why are you going to do that?"

"Why can't you swim right here?" Sokka asked right after.

"Is that really a good idea?" Zuko considered before Aang could even respond to the first two questions, "Aren't you the one always going on and on about how we shouldn't get separated?"

"Zuko's right," Sokka threw in, "You know what happens when we relax. You'll go downstream and the next thing we know you'll be eaten by a sea monster or spontaneously combust or some other thing too horrible to imagine!"

"Will you all relax?" Aang snapped with uncharacteristic sharpness, quelling their arguments simultaneously. "I just want to be alone, okay!"

"You want to be alone?" Zuko parroted, as if the words Aang had spoken were completely foreign. He wasn't the only one left befuddled by the declaration. _Everyone_ was looking at Aang strangely, which only served to sour his mood further.

"Yes, alone," Aang stressed, "As in by myself, solitary, without company…_alone_. I _can_ want that sometimes! Sheesh!" He started to walk away and, as Momo started to scamper after him, he turned back and commanded harshly, "You stay here, Momo! Alone means _alone_." Chastened and disappointed, Momo slumped away, tail between his legs and ears down.

"What's eating him?" Zuko wondered after Aang had stomped off down the bank and disappeared from sight.

"Isn't it obvious? He's finally dropped the façade," Sokka replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Honestly, he could only keep it up for so long before he cracked. Pfft. I knew it was an act the whole time! No one is _that_ happy, especially _Fire Nation_. It's not natural." He expelled a heavy sigh. "I'm actually sort of glad. His constant optimism was starting to get a little annoying."

"It's not an act, Sokka," Katara retorted with a roll of her eyes, "That's how Aang _really_ is."

"Sure he is," Sokka patronized, "And that's why he stomped away like he had a beetle-bee in his shorts a few minutes ago."

"He's just having a bad day," Katara considered aloud, more to herself than Sokka and Zuko. "If he's moody like this, something must really be bothering him."

"How would you know?" Sokka challenged.

Katara plunked her hands onto her hips, lifting her chin to a haughty angle. "Because I talk to him, that's why!"

"Oh-ho, if you know him so well, then what's bothering him, oh intuitive one?" Sokka charged snidely.

The question caught her off guard, alerting Katara to the fact that she wasn't nearly as "intuitive" as she would have liked to be. Sokka crowed over her loss for words, which earned him a face full of ice cold water. "I suppose I deserved that," he mumbled miserably.

"I don't know what's wrong with Aang," Katara considered aloud. "Maybe he's just missing his uncle. You know how close they are."

It was impossible not to know because Aang talked about his uncle, the once great Fire Nation general, practically all the time. Despite being estranged from his father, away from home and practically a fugitive, Aang spoke of the three years he'd spent traveling with his uncle as if they had been the best years of his life. It was as if those experiences had been nothing less than an adventurous vacation for him. He was always telling stories about the things he'd learned and seen, handy skills he'd picked up, a few of them rather surprising. There was never a hint of regret in his tone when he spoke of those times, only the wistful nostalgia due to fond memories. Katara suspected that's _exactly_ how Aang viewed that time…as fond memories.

Though Zuko and Sokka probably hadn't given it much thought, Katara was well aware of the fact that, until almost a month ago, Aang hadn't spent a day apart from his uncle in _three_ years. They had become as close as a father and his son. _Well, the normal ones anyway_, Katara amended mentally. She could only imagine that their separation was depressing Aang a bit. That was how she'd felt in the initial months after her own father had left their village to lend his expertise to the resistance.

"But I don't get it," Zuko grumped, "He just sent him a message when we stopped in that town the other night. It's not like he's never going to see him again. His uncle is supposed to meet us in the North Pole, right? Good grief! He's practically sixteen years old," he concluded in a disgruntled mutter, "You'd think he could function without his uncle holding his hand by now."

"Well, we can't all be as self sufficient as you, Zuko," Katara replied sweetly.

"I think you mean anti-social," Sokka coughed behind his hand.

Zuko leveled them both with a dangerous glare. "You two aren't hilarious in the slightest."

Katara nudged him. "Go see what's wrong with Aang," she urged, "I think he needs guy talk."

"And you're sending _Zuko_?" Sokka balked. "Why him? What's wrong with me? I'm a guy and I actually get along with Aang on a regular basis!"

Katara leveled her brother with a meaningful glare, hoping that he would back off that argument because it put a serious crimp in what _she_ had planned. "I said he needed _guy_ talk, Sokka, not _moron_ talk," she retorted.

"Oh, I'll show you moron!" Sokka threatened.

Before they could fall into a round of their usual bickering, Zuko stepped between them with an exasperated groan and said, "Sokka's right…for once. Why do you want to send me? I don't do that…emotional stuff. You know…comfort and encouragement and caring…garbage like that—,"

"Wait, caring isn't garbage," she interrupted in mild affront.

"I'm just saying that's your thing, Katara," Zuko continued doggedly, "You're the hand-holder in this group. You go talk to him."

"Yeah, since you're _soulmates_ and everything," Sokka taunted, "You can just look into his eyes and _know_ exactly what he's feeling. Ooh, smoochie-smoochie, I think someone's in love!"

"Stop it! I never said he was my soulmate, Sokka!" Katara snapped irritably, "And I don't think he needs to talk to _me_. I said I thought he could use _guy_ talk, remember? I'm not a guy. Besides," she added, switching to outright cajolery as she turned to address Zuko again, "this would be the perfect opportunity for you to get to know Aang better."

"Why do I need to know him better?" Zuko griped. "I eat with him every morning. His face is ten feet from mine when I go to bed at night! What else is there to know?"

"Well, you _are_ still pretty snippy with him," Sokka pointed out meekly.

"Who asked you?" Zuko fired back.

Knowing better than to get on Zuko's irritable side, Sokka threw up his hands in surrender. "And I'm stepping out of it now," he returned smoothly.

"Don't lose your temper and hear me out," Katara soothed. "I was just thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity for you and Aang to…I don't know…_bond _maybe?"

"Is it really necessary to bond?" Zuko asked, his reluctance concerning the prospect quite palpable.

"It's necessary for me," Katara wheedled with a smile.

Zuko made a sour face at her. "You're just going to keep bugging me until I agree, aren't you?" he sighed.

"Absolutely."

He grumbled under his breath. "I'm only doing this because you'll make me miserable if I don't," he prefaced but then added when both Sokka and Katara snorted, "Well, more miserable than I already am anyway."

When Zuko cleared the trees on the far side of the lake a few minutes later, he discovered Aang sitting on a large boulder, his knees pulled tightly against his chest, apparently lost in thought. However, the moment Zuko came within a few feet of him, he snapped to attention, his brows drawing together in a displeased scowl. "Did you misunderstand me when I said I wanted to be alone earlier?" he asked tersely.

"You _are_ in a foul mood," Zuko observed in mild surprise.

"That's almost hysterical coming from you," Aang retorted.

"I'm not judging you," the Avatar said, "It's just…strange. I don't think I've ever seen you in a bad mood before."

"Well, everyone has an off day," Aang replied evasively. "What are you doing out here?"

"Katara wanted me to come and check on you."

Just the mention of her name had Aang perking to immediate attention, but then, one moment later, he felt like a complete idiot because he did. "Katara? Why would she send you out here?"

Zuko shrugged. "She's worried about you."

Aang's eyes widened with the statement. "Is that what she told you?" he queried, careful to keep his tone neutral though his blood was fairly racing at the possibility.

"Well, she _did_ send me out here to you," Zuko informed him with a disinterested grunt, "So, I assume she is."

Though Zuko didn't realize it, his reply immediately drove home to Aang just how silly and immature he'd been the majority of the day. Obviously, Katara _cared_ about him. They _all_ cared about him and that should be what really mattered, Aang reminded himself. A few weeks ago he had been their enemy and now they were making his feelings and happiness a priority in their lives. _That_ should be his focus. After all, a crush was just a crush and, likely, it would pass with time. In the meantime, he'd simply have to find a way to live with his awkward feelings where Katara was concerned.

Unaware that Aang had already worked out his issues from earlier and was moving on to regret over how he'd acted, Zuko reached out and patted Aang's shoulder awkwardly. "There, there," he said.

Aang squinted at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm comforting you," Zuko replied, as if the answer should have been blindingly obvious. "That's what people do when they comfort you. They pat your shoulder and say stuff like, 'there, there.'"

"Oh, I see," Aang said, reaching around to pluck Zuko's hand from his shoulder, "Well, you can stop now. It's freaking me out a little."

Zuko wilted with relief. "Thank goodness. I'm no good at it anyway."

"No kidding," Aang mumbled under his breath wryly, but then added in a louder, more contrite tone, "I'm sorry about being so sullen and rude to you earlier…to all of you. There's no excuse for it. The only thing I can say is that my head's been in a really crazy place lately."

"Tell me about it," Zuko mumbled in commiseration. "But don't sweat it. I'm sullen and rude all the time and I _never_ apologize. I just figure you guys know what I'm going through and you'll make allowances. I'm trying to do the same thing for you."

"Thanks, Zuko."

"No problem. You feel better?" Aang bit back a smile and nodded. "Good. My work here is done."

However, when he stared to scoot from the boulder and return to camp, Aang asked, "Hey, what did you mean earlier about your head being in a crazy place?"

Zuko became instantly guarded. "I didn't say that."

"Yeah, you kind of did," Aang insisted. "Well, I said it and you agreed." Zuko regarded him with a wary, enigmatic stare. "You want to talk about it?" the older boy offered.

"There's nothing to talk about," Zuko lied smoothly.

"It's not good to hold it inside."

"Probably not."

"Zuko, this is the whole point of having friends," Aang pressed, "So we can have someone to talk to."

"Are we friends?" Zuko challenged.

"I'd like to think we are," Aang countered softly, "We should be." He watched indecision flitter across Zuko's usually guarded features. "You can trust me."

Zuko hesitated for so long that, when he finally exploded, Aang literally jumped. "You want to know what's bothering me?" he fired, "I feel like everything I do is completely futile, that's what's bothering me!"

Not the least bit offended by Zuko's flare of anger, Aang asked patiently, "Why do you feel that way?"

"We get to the North Pole and then what?" Zuko charged. "I find a waterbending instructor. I master waterbending and then I'm right back in the same boat when it comes to earthbending! If finding a waterbending instructor has been difficult, finding an earthbending instructor will be _impossible_! I'll be right back at square one!"

"You're worried about finding an earthbending teacher?"

"Was there some part of my monologue that was too confusing for you?" Zuko bit out rudely.

Aang made a deliberate choice to ignore his irritated rejoinder. "What I'm saying is that you don't need to worry about that," he reassured Zuko. "I know a guy." The Avatar's eyes flared wide with hope. "Well, _I_ don't technically know him," Aang elaborated further, causing Zuko's eyes to darken with disappointment just as quickly as they had brightened, "He's a friend of my uncle's. They go way back. His name is Bumi. He's…he's a little…er…eccentric, but he's the greatest earthbender I've ever seen!"

Zuko eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean by 'eccentric'?"

After trying several times, and fruitlessly, to phrase his answer in a delicate manner, Aang confessed rather frankly, "Okay, he's a walking bag of nuts."

"What?"

"But he's good," Aang reiterated feelingly, "He is _incredibly_ good. And he's the King of Omashu so he can't be incompetent or anything. I'm sure he's perfectly qualified to train you."

"You think a _king_, and a crazy one at that, is going to teach me earthbending?" the Avatar charged doubtfully.

"Only one way to find out," Aang said. "After we leave the North Pole, we go to Omashu and ask him."

"Just like that? We show up to his palace, knock on his door and ask him to teach me earthbending?"

"That's basically what we're doing now, right?"

"Good point."

"So does that put your mind at ease?" Aang asked, "Do _you_ feel better now?" Zuko nodded, but there was something that flickered in his eyes that caught Aang's attention. "What?" he urged his friend softly, "What else is there, Zuko? You can tell me."

"Do you ever have…dreams?" he asked Aang haltingly.

Aang contemplated that for a moment, wondering briefly if he was going to regret the line of conversation. "What kind of dreams?"

"I don't know…weird dreams," Zuko sighed, "Dreams that feel like they're trying to tell you something…give you a message maybe…"

"Oh…well, yeah," Aang answered with some relief, "sure I have."

"I haven't been sleeping well lately because of all the dreams," Zuko confessed. "I don't know what they mean. They scare me a little."

"What happens in your dreams?"

"I keep seeing Roku, the Avatar who came before me," Zuko recounted. "He keeps telling me that I need to come to him. He says that it's urgent. And then I see this bright flash…like a flaming ball of fire hurtling through the sky. And then the whole world is burning and I know instinctively that everyone I ever cared about is gone. I'm standing alone and the world is burning and I know it's because of me," he finished tautly. "In my dream, Roku tells me that he can help me understand, but I have to come to him…," he lifted his gaze to regard Aang somberly, "…on the solstice."

"Zuko, that's in a few days," Aang realized.

"I know."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Because I figured it was just a nightmare," Zuko flashed back. "If Roku is real then the rest of it is real too! I can't handle that right now! I'm dealing with enough already!" He began a frenetic pacing, unreasonably angry with Aang and frustrated with himself. "Besides, I haven't told you _where_ Roku wants me to come to him. It's on a crescent-shaped island…_in the Fire Nation_."

"I know that island," Aang confirmed, shoving down the conflicted feelings that rose with the offer he was about to make. "I can take you there."

"You think I'm going to go?" Zuko snorted. "I told you…it was only a dream."

"I don't think it was," Aang refuted. "Roku is inside of you, Zuko. Maybe he's trying to tell you something."

"Doubtful. You'd think he would have spoken to me long before this."

"Don't dismiss your dreams," Aang told him. "I've been dreaming about you since I was old enough to remember."

"About me?"

"About the _Avatar_," Aang clarified, "I've always known that you and I would be connected in some fundamental way someday. I didn't know how or why, but I knew our destinies were intertwined and now look where I am. Look at _us_. Dreams mean something, Zuko."

The Avatar's cynicism was almost a tangible thing. "What if you're wrong?" Zuko charged, "We'll be risking all of our lives for nothing."

"It won't be for nothing," Aang insisted, "Everything happens for a reason and, if your dreams are telling you that you need to go to Roku on Crescent Island, then that's where we're going."


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

"I can't believe we're planning to cross over into Fire Nation territory armed with nothing but a boomerang, a club, Zuko's staff and a bag of dried seal jerky."

Sokka's observation was grim and succinct, but inarguably valid as well. There was still a massive amount of trepidation and uncertainty concerning the journey among their small group, but each person was harboring their own separate reservations. Sokka worried that they were going into the situation wholly unprepared. They were operating on the sketchy knowledge Aang had of certain thin spots in the blockades, intel that was more than three years old. It was quite likely that the Firelord had tightened up his security in that time. In essence, they were flying blind and there was no telling what awaited them when they reached the Fire Nation borders.

Zuko dreaded coming face to face with Roku and learning that, perhaps, the terrifying elements of his dream had been true after all. He was practically numb from the loss he'd suffered thus far. He was nearly overwhelmed by the daunting task already before him. If just one more thing was heaped upon him, it would unquestionably push him over the edge. He was making a valiant attempt to be strong and keep focused, but there was only so much he could endure before he snapped.

While Zuko struggled with his fear of loss and uncertainty over just how much he could endure, Aang struggled with his confusing feelings over returning home. He had been twelve years old the last time he'd set foot on Fire Nation soil. Part of him was elated by the idea of going home. He had missed the place. He had missed his people. But another part of him felt inundated with sadness because the homecoming was far from the one he'd envisioned, the one where the world was free and his beloved uncle was at his side.

As Zuko and Aang mulled over their issues in silence, Katara sat off to the far corner of Appa's saddle and observed them both. She was vividly aware of the crushing pressure Zuko was under. He was pushing himself so hard and had planned out his training in such minute detail that she feared what would happen if something failed to go according to his plans. Zuko was like a tightly wound bow string; just a single pluck and he could break completely.

And then there was Aang, mired in conflict though masking it behind his usual smile. He was returning to the very place where he'd been branded a traitor. Katara couldn't imagine how he felt about that. Strangely enough, she wasn't particularly worried about the danger they faced on the trip. Rather, she was worried about the emotional carnage that trip wrought on two of the three young men she cared about most in the world. She wanted desperately to help them both, but at the same time, recognized that there was little she could do.

"How much longer until we reach the border?" Sokka asked Aang as he squinted off into the horizon.

"Couple of hours," Aang said, "Maybe less."

"And you're sure we won't have a problem getting through the blockade," Sokka pressed anxiously.

"There shouldn't even _be_ a blockade, Sokka," Aang reassured him, "Where we're crossing is right above an island chain of active volcanoes. No one ever crosses there unless they have a serious death wish. It's only accessible by air now and since the sky bison and dragons died out a long time ago…"

"Did you just say _active volcanoes_?" Sokka gulped.

"Wait a minute," Zuko interjected, lurching around to face Aang and practically plowing past Sokka's strident concern when he burst out, "The dragons are _extinct_?"

Aang nodded sadly. "A lot has changed since you got trapped in that iceberg."

"It seems like more and more every day," Zuko mumbled to himself.

"Yeah, yeah, the poor dragons are no more. Boohoo. Back to the volcanoes," Sokka interrupted loudly, "The very _active_ volcanoes…you want us to _fly_ over them…with the exploding lava and everything? Do I understand you correctly?"

"Don't worry," Aang soothed. "We'll be high enough in the sky that it shouldn't be a problem. The heat might be a little intense though."

"Fantastic," Sokka deadpanned.

Less than two hours later, the teens found themselves holding a collective breath as the mountain chain loomed into view, beautiful and majestic in an oddly foreboding way. Thick, superheated lava bubbled up from the open craters at the crest of the mountains, oozing down the rocky, cone-shaped formations in smoking rivulets. Aang had not exaggerated about the heat either. Even at a fair distance, they could feel it powerfully, _see_ the watery haze it created on the afternoon horizon.

"This is it," Zuko announced grimly, "If anyone wants to turn back, this is your opportunity to say so."

A profound look bounced among the group as mutual decision was reached without a single word being spoken. "Let's do this," Katara said.

Instinctively, they prepared themselves for a fierce battle, uncertain as to whether they would find a fleet of Fire Navy ships waiting for them on the other side of the belching mountain chain or not. Fortunately, their worst fears went unrealized when they cleared the volcanoes and were able to cross over into Fire Nation territory without incident. From there, according to Aang, it was another half hour's journey to Roku's temple on Crescent Island.

"I have to warn you though," Aang prefaced a moment later, "The temple is kept and guarded by the Fire Sages and they are loyal to my father."

"And you're only mentioning it _now_?" Sokka bleated.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Katara worried.

"There's no reason to panic," Aang reassured them quickly. "I think I might know a way we can get in without them seeing us."

"You _think_ or you _know_?" Zuko demanded.

"I'm like 90% sure," Aang said. Predictably, his answer provoked a round of exasperated groans.

"You've got to be kidding me," Zuko muttered in an under-breath.

"My mother told me stories about the temple's secret tunnels when I was a kid," Aang insisted. He bit back a surreptitious smile. "Seems Roku was a restless soul and was always sneaking out for mischief during his term as the Avatar."

"Sounds more like _you_ than Zuko," Katara smirked.

"Hmm…maybe," Aang responded vaguely, "Anyway, I'm almost positive the tunnel is still there. Let's just say, it's something of a family secret."

"And if you're wrong?" Sokka prodded.

"Then I guess Zuko and Katara will have the perfect opportunity to put all that waterbending training to good use," Aang replied. More groans followed.

Twenty minutes later the ornate pagoda rooftop of Roku's temple could be seen peeking through the clouds from its perch atop a smoking volcano. Little time was taken to admire its beauty because all were too focused on the task ahead. "Land Appa on the beach," Aang told Zuko, "He'll attract too much attention otherwise. We'll have to approach the temple on foot." After giving both Momo and Appa stern instructions to stay put and keep out of sight, they began the long, winding trek up the mountain.

They rooted around the outside of the temple, darting after Aang as he randomly counted rocks along the steep perimeter of the rocky hillside. Though his efforts seemed like a complete waste of time to Zuko, the young Avatar held his tongue and decided to trust the erratic Fire Nation prince. Finally, they came across a huge, innocuous stone, situated in the center of a small clearing that was less than forty feet from the temple.

Aang stooped down to feel along the mossy base of the stone and smiled. "This is it."

"How can you tell?" Zuko asked, his tone dubious as surveyed their surroundings with a cursory glance, "It looks like all the other rocks around here."

"But this is a special rock," Aang prefaced. He took hold of Zuko's hand and brought against the underside of the stone so that his fingers brushed the same carved insignia that Aang had felt for himself moments earlier. "Can you feel it?"

Frowning, Zuko nodded and straightened. "What is that?"

Aang blew shaggy locks of unkempt hair from his eyes. "Family crest."

"You mean the _Firelord_ knows about this secret passage?" Sokka cried incredulously. He took several steps back from the rock, crossing his arms defiantly. "No way am I going in then. I'll take my chances with the Fire Sages, thank you very much!"

"Not my paternal family crest," Aang corrected, "My _maternal_ family crest." He settled a meaningful stare on Zuko as he elaborated, "This is Roku's crest." He allowed his friends a few moments to soak that in. As expected, Sokka was the first to grasp the implication of what he was telling them.

"So…wait a minute…you're saying you're related to Avatar Roku?"

"He was my great grandfather," Aang confirmed softly.

"What?" Zuko gasped in gaping shock.

"Wow…" Katara breathed.

"Huh?" Sokka followed up.

"Why didn't you say anything about this before?" Zuko demanded, half shocked, half aggravated.

"Like you would have believed me even if I'd tried," Aang snorted laughingly. "There's a time for everything, Zuko, and this was the time to tell you that."

"So does that mean that _Zuko_ is your great-grandfather then?" Sokka surmised with a clearly disturbed expression. "That's just freaky. And wrong," he added with a pronounced shudder, "So very wrong."

"Don't be stupid, Sokka! Zuko isn't his grandfather," Katara huffed with an exasperated eye roll, "He's Roku _reincarnated_. He is Roku in spirit, not in the flesh. There aren't any actual blood ties between them. Am I right?" she added, looking over to Zuko for confirmation.

"You're right," he said. "Aang and I aren't blood related, but we _are _connected. In more ways than I imagined," Zuko added with a small, pensive frown. He regarded Aang with a penetrating look, as if he were seeing him for the very first time. "Now I understand what you meant by that whole 'destiny intertwined' thing because you knew…you knew the connection between us."

"Well, I believed the stuff about our destinies long before I found out Roku was my great-grandfather," Aang told him, "But the discovery only confirmed what I already knew. I'm where I'm supposed to be…and so are you." Zuko turned away, obviously at a point where he was not ready to accept that.

"So what now?" Sokka asked, "Do you perform some awesome firebending move and this rock magically opens?"

"Actually no," Aang answered wryly. "You put your back into it and help me push it aside."

"Somehow I'm extremely disappointed to learn this involves manual labor," Sokka pouted as he, Katara, Zuko and Aang strained to roll the stone aside. Once they did, a makeshift flight of earthen stairs was revealed, leading down a long, cavernous tunnel. For the first time, Sokka contemplated all the not so good things that might be down there. He stared down the dark hole with an audible gulp. "So are we really going to do this?"

"Come on," Zuko determined, unflinching. He was the first to begin descending the steps below ground. "We don't have much time left. Roku has an important message for me and I'm ready to hear it."

Aang was the last to enter, using the metal handle fastened on the underside of the secret stone to roll it back into position. Once it was sealed, the underground chamber where they stood was engulfed in thick, blinding darkness. With a banked fire in the center of his palm, Aang illuminated the room, revealing the mouth to the cavern on the opposite side of the chamber. "Let's get to it then," he said.

Their path took them through winding tunnels past swimming rivers of magma and erupting pockets of poisonous gas. The heat below ground was searing and uncomfortable and they all got more than a little sweaty and dirty along the way. After about ten minutes of walking, their surroundings began to gradually shift from moist, stone walls to cobweb and dust encrusted wooden beams and panels. Finally, they found themselves at the end of the tunnel, face to face with a large wooden wall panel that blocked any further advance.

"Now what?" Katara asked.

"Is there a door?" Sokka wondered, already executing a thorough inspection to find one.

"There has to been an opening somewhere around here," Aang said as he used his free hand to feel his way along the wall, "Help me look for it."

While he, Katara and Sokka made a search for it, however, Zuko followed a hunch and reached up to pull down one of the two oil light sconces that were on either side of the paneled wall. Without warning, they were swiveled around on a large rotating panel underneath the floor so that they came out on the other side of the wall…right into a narrow corridor of Roku's temple. Everyone stared at Zuko in amazement.

"I thought it was pretty obvious," Zuko remarked dryly.

Katara grinned at him. "Nice work, Zuko," she commended.

He didn't smile back, but his eyes did gleam briefly with her compliment. "Thanks, Katara."

He turned to Aang to ask him which way they should go. Although the young Avatar had a clear vision of the room he was to meet Roku in fixed firmly in his mind, he had no idea how to get there. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to voice the question. Almost the moment he opened his mouth, a Fire Sage began to round the corridor. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Zuko instantly froze in place, too stunned to react at first.

The Sage stopped short, obviously stunned to find four filthy teenagers trespassing in Roku's sacred temple. His plan to chastise them was halted, however, when he noticed the distinctive orange and yellow tunic worn by the foremost boy. It was clothing unlike any he'd ever seen, distinctive to a race that had not existed in more than a century. As a result, the Fire Sage recognized him almost immediately.

"The Avatar…" he breathed.

Those two words were all that was needed to snap the kids out of their stupors. "Run!" Aang cried.

As they turned to do just that, Aang flung out a curtain of fire, startling the Fire Sage backwards in order to allow him and his friends to get a good running head start. With the Sage protesting behind him, he ran to catch up with his friends, who were already more than halfway down the corridor. Behind him, he could hear the Fire Sage sounding the alarm and giving chase. "Which way?" he asked Zuko as they frantically searched for a hiding place.

"I was hoping you could tell me!" Zuko threw back.

At the end of the long hallway, two Fire Sages suddenly materialized and blocked what they'd hoped would be their exit. Panicked, the kids skidded to a stop and cut a hard left into the nearest room, a large, open sanctuary with a looming, ivory effigy of Avatar Roku towards the front of it. They raced across the marbled floors, footsteps pounding, hoping to lose their pursuers in the winding corridors and so that they could double back. The sun was already beginning to sink low in the horizon. Zuko _had_ to be where he needed to be by sunset or the entire trip would be pointless.

The implicit decision to split up was made and they diverged from each other, only to discover their plan had been foiled before they could even execute it fully. The room was blocked on all sides with more Fire Sages. Breathless and cornered, they circled the room together. Accepting that they weren't going to get out of there unless they fought their way out, the teens assumed their defensive stances, ready to attack.

"Please!" the foremost Sage cried, spreading his arms wide in supplication. "We do not wish to harm you." The declaration was the _last_ thing the teens expected and they were so shocked that they momentarily dropped their guards. "I am Shyu," the Fire Sage told them. He gestured to the more than half dozen sages standing with him. "We want to help you." The wary teenagers could do little more than respond to that with incredulous silence and that was _before_ the Fire Sages, as a whole group, bowed low to the ground and prostrated themselves before Zuko.

"Avatar, you have shown favor to us and returned," Shyu murmured reverently when he and his fellow servants rose to their feet, "Now we know we are redeemed. Welcome. And welcome home to you, Prince Aang."

Aang regarded them suspiciously. "What's going on here? Why did you bow down just now?"

"Because we serve the Avatar, majesty," Shyu said.

"Since when?" Aang snorted dubiously.

"Since _you_, my lord."

"Since me?" Aang echoed blankly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"For centuries the Fire Sages had loyally served the Avatar. It was our duty and privilege," Shyu began, "But after Sozin came to power and the Avatar disappeared, the order became corrupted. Some Sages were compelled by fear and others by greed. It was a dark time. No matter the reason, we lost focus. We lost sight of our responsibilities.

"Three years ago when you faced your father, when you were willing to turn your back on your homeland and your family to fight for what you believed in, and at the tender age of _twelve_ no less, you shamed us with your bravery, my lord," Shyu went on to explain, "You showed a faith that we had long since lost. It was then that we came to realize how miserably we had failed in our duties as servants of the Avatar. Your decision to leave home forced us to face some very difficult truths. We knew that if you, as a mere boy, could find the courage to stand up to your father, then we, as grown men, could do the same.

"When the eyes of Roku's statue began to glow in this very room only a few weeks ago," Shyu continued, "we knew our redemption was complete. We knew that the Avatar would return to us…and now he has."

"So what does that mean exactly?" Sokka wanted to know.

"We are here to serve him," the Fire Sage said, "In any capacity we can. Our first loyalty is to the Avatar, just as it should have been always."

"Well, in that case," Sokka accepted with a relieved sigh, "Zuko had a vision of a room in this place. You think you could help us figure out which one it is? He needs to talk to Avatar Roku before the sun sets."

They led the four to Roku's private sanctuary. Aang was still tense with what seemed like a sudden change in the Sages, but his friends seemed to trust them. Even Zuko was inclined to take them at their word, so Aang forced himself to relax. When they reached the open doors of the sanctuary, Shyu turned to regard Zuko.

"When you're inside, go to the middle of the room and wait for the light to hit the eyes of Avatar Roku's statue," he instructed. "Once that happens, you will be able to speak with him." Zuko nodded and started forward, but when his friends started to follow him as well, Shyu blocked their paths. "The Avatar must go inside alone," he told them. His statement was met with instant mistrust.

"How do we know this is not a trick just to isolate Zuko and capture him?" Sokka charged.

"We have committed treason by bringing you this far," Shyu replied. When that reply failed to mollify the three teens, he added, "You may wait for him outside, if you wish. We will not prevent you." He flicked a glance over at two Fire Sages standing to his right. "Go to the front of the temple and make sure no one enters there," he ordered, "We do not wish for the Avatar to be disturbed." Once the Fire Sages left to carry out his orders, Shyu stepped forward and pulled the heavy doors of the sanctuary closed.

Afterwards, when the Fire Sages began to personally introduce themselves to Aang, Katara and Sokka in low, reverential tones, no one noticed the small cluster of five Fire Sages hovering behind a nearby pillar. They watched as their fellow servants paid homage to the Avatar's cohorts with curling sneers and protesting grumbles. Disgusted by the sages' treason and eager to affirm their loyalty to the Firelord, the group turned away from the scene, plotting amongst themselves the full intention to inform the Firelord of this latest turn of events. They were certain that Firelord Ozai would be pleased to learn that not only was the Avatar finally within his grasp, but that his traitorous son had returned home as well.

Once all the introductions had been made, the loyal Fire Sages dispersed along with the plotters, leaving Aang, Sokka and Katara to mill about in the corridor and contemplate the strange turn of circumstances. "What do you think?" Sokka asked Aang.

"I don't know," he mumbled, "They seem sincere, but the order isn't anything like I remember it."

"I think they're telling the truth," Katara piped in, "They could have attacked us and they didn't. They could have lied to us and they didn't. Maybe they really have changed."

"Maybe," Aang sighed tentatively, clearly struggling with the idea that his impulsive decision to run away from home had yielded such far-reaching and positive influence. "This whole thing is just…it's weird."

"Now what?" Katara wondered aloud, staring at the looming sanctuary door. "He could be in there for hours."

A consulting look passed between the three before they all announced in simultaneous decision, "Dinner."

Inside the sanctuary, Zuko jumped when the doors closed behind him, sealing him inside. But he was strangely unafraid. He was surrounded by a vague sense of familiarity. As he drifted further into the room, he studied his environment and reacquainted himself with things he had never even seen before. But he knew them. He knew this place. It was like coming home.

Despite having been years since Roku had occupied it, the room was kept neat and tidy, the wood gleamed with newness, the gold ornaments were polished to a brilliant shine. Just as Shyu had told him, he discovered a marble statue of Roku at the center of the room. Orange rays from the sun were cast across the statue's chest. Remembering, Shyu's words, Zuko folded himself down onto the crimson pallet before the sculpture and waited.

Very gradually the light began traveling up the statue's torso, then neck, then chin, until finally reaching the eyes. Only then did they begin to pulse with a brilliant light. Zuko held his breath as the sanctuary began to fill with a swirling, white mist. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again, he was standing on a mountaintop, face to face with a bearded, white haired Avatar Roku.

He smiled at Zuko, almost fondly. "It is good to see you, Zuko. What took you so long?"


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

"For a while, I was pretty sure I was going crazy," Zuko told Roku, "I couldn't be certain if you were real or just a dream." He tipped back his head to regard the older Avatar solemnly. "Why did you call me here, Roku?"

"There is something very important that I must tell you, Zuko," Roku said.

"Does it have anything to do with the strange dreams I've been having lately?" Zuko wondered.

"Yes, it does."

"What do they mean?"

With Zuko's question, the mountain began to break away from beneath their feet. The scene around them shifted and retreated so that they were no longer bathed in the white light of the spirit plane atop a lofty mountain, but instead blanketed under a starry sky, transported back 100 years in time and placed right on the Firelord's private balcony. The apparition of a Sozin long past stood at the edge of the stone landing, looking out over the horizon towards the curling smoke that drifted up from the nearest Air Temple. He watched with a satisfied smile as it burned.

The instant Zuko recognized what was happening he was filled with primal rage. Emitting an angry growl, he charged forward, his eyes already coming alive with a fearsome glow. Roku placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "It is already past, Zuko," he said softly, "You cannot undo it."

As abruptly as it had ignited, the feral light faded from Zuko's eyes. He shrugged off Roku's touch. "Why are you showing me this?" he demanded stiffly.

Once again the scene changed, so that they were no longer on Sozin's landing, but standing in the midst of a flowing sea of magma. Overhead, a comet, bright and blazing streaked the sky. As it did, Roku began to speak. "One hundred years ago, Firelord Sozin used the comet to begin the war. He and his firebending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations."

"So what are you saying?" Zuko asked. "Did the comet make them stronger or something?"

"Stronger than you can imagine," Roku confirmed darkly.

"What does this mean for me now?" Zuko wondered.

"Sozin's comet will return by the conclusion of summer," Roku told him. "Firelord Ozai plans to use its power to conquer the world completely. You cannot allow this to happen, Zuko. You _must_ defeat the Firelord before summer's end."

"But that's only months away!" Zuko fired. "I'm not even an Airbending master yet! What you're expecting from me is impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible for you, Zuko," Roku refuted mildly, "You have mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes and you will do so again. The survival of the world depends on it."

The pronouncement was dire and bleak, but rather than weighing him down further, Zuko found himself filled with new resolve. The survival of his own people had rested on his shoulders once and he had failed to protect them. He would not fail this time. He _would_ learn the elements before summer concluded. He _would_ face the Firelord…and he _would_ annihilate him.

"Guard yourself, Zuko," Roku warned, correctly discerning Zuko's dark thoughts, "The hatred that burns in your heart is just as much of a threat as Sozin's Comet. Take care that you don't become what you despise."

"That's easy for you to say!" Zuko spat. "Your people weren't destroyed by these madmen! What have _you_ lost?"

"I have lost as much as you have, young Airbender."

Abruptly, Roku's form began to warp and change, until he had morphed into a female Airbender, with young, regal features. Her pale skin was tattooed with the arcing arrows of a master, her dark hair shaved from her head in the way that was traditional for the female monks. She was incredibly beautiful, calm and poised.

Zuko blinked at her, trying desperately to place her lovely face and, as he did, his surroundings changed yet again. No longer did he find himself closed in by bubbling lava and billowing smoke, but instead he was seated in a field of tall, green grass, directly across from the Airbender. High beyond her shoulder, against the backdrop of the mountains, he would see the Northern Air Temple clearly, gliders sailing high above its peak, twirling and dancing on shafts of air. Zuko smiled at the scene. Nostalgia and longing burned in his chest. He turned his head to regard the woman once more.

"Who are you?" Zuko whispered.

"I am Avatar Yangchen," she said, "And I'm here to save you from yourself."

****

Sokka lounged outside the door of the temple, sprawled on his side and disinterestedly tossing berries into his mouth. He, Katara and Aang were basically camped in the hallway, waiting for Zuko to emerge from Roku's sanctuary. Several times the sages had come to offer them refreshment and even lodging for the night. But while they accepted the former, they consistently refused the latter, growing more and more anxious the longer they spent inside the temple walls.

"Exactly how much can a dead guy tell a person?" Sokka groaned. "He's been in there forever!"

"It's been just a little over an hour, Sokka. Have a little patience," Katara scolded.

"Well, we can't linger here much longer," Aang interjected, visibly distracted. "Don't forget this is enemy territory. I don't have a good feeling about being here at all."

"That sounds so weird coming from you," Sokka commented, brows furrowed.

Aang shrugged. "This must be really awkward for you, huh?" Katara surmised quietly.

"A little bit," Aang evaded.

Katara reached out to cover his hand with her own and offered him a small, reassuring smile. "Try a lot," she murmured knowingly.

"That's right," Sokka drawled, swinging upright and snapping his fingers as a thought suddenly occurred to him, "This is the first time you've been home since you ran away, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Aang confirmed glumly.

"So how does it feel being back home?" Sokka asked.

"Not like home at all. I feel like I'm a stranger," Aang sighed despondently.

"Then allow me to give you a proper homecoming! It's the least I can do after you made it so easy for me to find you!" Blue fire blasted in a deafening roar above their heads, sending Sokka, Katara and Aang scrambling to their feet in ready defense. On the opposite side of the corridor, there stood a young girl with dark hair, fingers extended and still smoking from her recent assault and wearing a satisfied smirk. She was flanked by Firebenders and, surprisingly, five Fire Sages, two on her right and three on her left. "Hello, Aangie," she greeted with a feline smile. "You don't look at all happy to see me. It hurts."

"Who is _that_?" Sokka screeched indignantly.

The question provoked a deep scowl from Aang. "Azula. My little sister."

****

"I know the grief you feel is alive in your heart and what became of our people is never far from your mind," Yangchen acknowledged as their surroundings retreated again, replaced this time by an intensely bleak landscape. The gliders faded from the rooftops of the Air Temple as the sun became blotted out with thick tufts of grey smoke. The temple, once shining and ethereal, became little more than a dilapidated, scorched crater, abandoned and overtaken by weeds and vines. Even the ground on which Zuko and Yangchen sat became barren and cold. Zuko shuddered at the change.

"You are bitter," she observed softly.

"Who wouldn't be?" he grated in return.

Yangchen regarded him sorrowfully. "I know it is hard," she whispered, "But you must focus beyond your grief and direct your attention towards the safety of the world. That is your sole responsibility now."

"And that's what I'm doing!" Zuko retorted defensively. "That _has_ been my single focus since I woke up and learned of the war! I've thought of nothing but my training and fulfilling my duty as the Avatar!"

"You've thought of nothing but revenge and destruction," Yangchen refuted intuitively. "You forget that I know what is in your heart, young Airbender, for your heart is my own."

Zuko fisted his hands to his lap, jaw clenched. "What does it matter? The end result is the same."

"Your duty is to restore balance to the world," Yangchen reminded him, "That cannot happen if you destroy the Fire Nation. That cannot happen if you destroy yourself."

"They are evil!" Zuko spat, "You can't imagine the atrocities they've committed! And those who didn't take an active part merely stood by and watched it happen, even those who had a bound duty to do otherwise!" he added, thinking of the Fire Sages. "They _all_ deserve to be destroyed!"

"Do they _all_?" Yangchen challenged, waving her hand to produce a smoky mirage of Aang's grinning countenance.

"Aang is different," Zuko argued tightly. "He's…he's my friend," he concluded finally, not realizing he actually believed the words until he'd voiced them aloud. "He isn't anything like them…"

"There are others…" Yangchen whispered. The vision of the Fire Sages who had helped him flashed before his face, as well as Iroh and the crew that served loyally aboard Aang's vessel.

Zuko turned away, tears of futility and rage burning his eyes. "What do you want from me?" he cried. "Do you want me to forgive them all? Because I can't and I won't!"

"And if your anger consumes you in the process?" Yangchen prompted.

Zuko's features became a chiseled mask of chilly resolve when he answered, "Then it does."

****

Katara coiled a rope of water from the skin at her waist, poised for attack.

However, when the Firebenders would have rushed her, Azula held up her hand to hold them at bay. "No," she said simply, "Not yet. I have something to settle with my _brother_ first. What do you say to that, Aang?"

"I say you're wasting your time," he replied dispassionately, "because no matter what you do, it's never going to make Father love you!"

Azula launched herself forward with a snarl of pure fury, daggers of blue fire jetting from her clenched fists. She sliced her arm forward in a wild blow, which he blocked almost effortlessly. Further enraged, she slashed at him wildly; infuriated further that he should have provoked her into losing control at all. Aang brought up his arm to block her blow for blow, stunting each effort she made to slice him across the face before countering with a punch towards her midsection.

She blocked him as well, dancing around him in one, fluid move to land a blow to his back. Before she could execute, he grabbed hold of her arm and flipped her over his shoulder. As she tumbled towards the ground, she took him with her. They tumbled and grappled, flipping and flopping, each one vying for the upper hand.

Aang was the first to regain his footing. He swept a jet of fire beneath Azula's feet, attempting to take her down again. She snapped her arms back, catching herself on the downturn and kicking her leg back in a wide, arcing sweep of blue fire. As Aang flipped out of the reach of the range of her assault, she missed making contact with his chin by mere inches. In reaction, he coiled out a whip of licking flames in an effort to lash her into submission. Azula broke the line with a forward slice of blue fire before somersaulting to safety on the head of a nearby stone dragon.

The two Fire Nation siblings regarded one another with narrowed eyes as they took a few seconds to catch their breaths. Seconds later, they were converged in violent combat once more. The corridor burst into flashing hues of orange and blue.

"And I thought _we_ had sibling rivalry," Sokka mumbled wryly as he watched Azula and Aang seemingly make every effort to kill each other.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Katara fretted.

Sokka watched as Aang and his sister traded blows; sometimes while firebending and sometimes in hand to hand combat. Several times his sister tried to get the upper hand, but Aang managed to outmaneuver her every time. "I think he's got it under control," he considered.

"And what happens when Zuko comes out of the sanctuary and Aang is busy with his sister?" Katara queried anxiously. "I can't just stand here!"

"Katara, no—!"

Before he'd even finished voicing the cry she was already cracking forth a fierce water whip, knocking an unsuspecting Azula from her most recent perch. Like a cat, the young Fire Nation princess landed on her feet and with only a few hairs on her smartly styled tresses out of place. But when she pivoted on her heel and turned her cold, amber colored eyes towards Katara, Sokka knew his sister had just done the wrong thing.

****

The illusion dropped from around Zuko and Yangchen dissipated without warning. Zuko suddenly found himself seated before Roku once again, surrounded by the familiarity of Roku's sanctuary. "You must go," the Avatar urged him gravely, "There is danger outside."

"What kind of danger?" Zuko demanded, already rolling to his feet in preparation.

"The Firelord knows you are here," Roku told him, "You must _not_ let him capture you. The danger is great. But I can help you face it…if you are ready."

Zuko's eyes suddenly illuminated with the knowledge and power of the thousands of Avatars that had come before him. His body fairly quaked with it. And when he spoke, it was in the reverberating tone of their united voices.

"Yes," the legion said, "I am ready."

****

Lightning was the last thing Sokka and Katara expected, but Aang wasn't taken so off guard. He grabbed hold of Azula's arm before she could send it sizzling through Katara's mid-section. Using a technique his uncle had taught him only two years earlier; Aang redirected a current of lightning through his body for the first time in his life. The rush of power was intoxicating and terrifying all at once. His body trembled as it coursed through him. He guided the crackling flow of electricity through his body and out his fingertips, blasting it towards the ceiling.

Azula pinned him with a narrowed glare, careful to mask her surprise and jealousy. "I see Uncle's taught you a new trick!" she sneered, quickly charging up for another volt.

"More tricks than you know," Aang spat back, charging as well.

Their sizzling currents of energy collided, creating a massive explosion that launched them both backwards into adjacent walls. They made impact with low grunts of pain. The battle exploded then. More Fire Sages arrived, those loyal to the Avatar, and it quickly became impossible to discern who was good and who was not.

Terrified, Sokka and Katara carefully crawled their way through a crisscross of fireballs and streaks of lightning, doing their best to keep out of the line of fire. "These people are nuts!" Sokka cried as he and Katara cowered behind a nearby pillar. "It can't get much uglier than this!"

But it could…and it did.

The doors to the sanctuary were suddenly blown open in a rush of fire and wind and Zuko emerged through them, bathed in white light and supported on a cloud of fire like the angry, vengeful god he was. Sokka groaned. "We are sooo gonna die."

But the Avatar had an entirely different set of targets. Nearest to him were the disloyal sages and when they turned their fire power onto him, they received fatal retribution for their error. Anyone unfortunate enough to be within a twelve inch radius of the enraged Avatar was blown to pieces. The ashes of the treacherous Fire Sages scattered through the room like tiny bits of confetti. Next, the Avatar turned his attention to the enemy Firebenders, opening the floor beneath their feet and taking them down into the bubbling pit of lava below. Their terrified screams echoed eerily through the corridors.

During the attack, Aang and Azula were oblivious, fighting like two people possessed. Years and years of competitive sibling rivalry could not be vanquished, not even by the chilling sight of an incensed Avatar. The natural inclination to best the other had obliterated reason for them both. The Avatar, then, became the deciding factor in their battle. He raised his arm and swept Azula back in a fierce tunnel of wind, snapping her back into a marbled post as if she were nothing more than a doll made of straw and knocking her unconscious.

He then turned his attention to his terrified friends and supporters, uttering only a single word in the voice of a multitude: "Leave."

They left.

The Fire Sages scrambled for the exits as the Avatar began to collapse the temple. Beams crashed. Priceless treasures burned. Sokka followed close behind him, dragging his sister along, ducking and dodging as large chunks of debris began to fall away from the ceiling. At the last minute, Katara made the horrifying realization that Aang was not with them and turned back to find discover him running in the opposite direction, straight for his unconscious sister. Without thinking, Katara tore her hand from Sokka's and went dashing after him, ignoring Sokka as he screamed for her to come back. Left with little choice in the matter, he ran after her.

"What are you doing?" Katara screamed over the windy chaos, grabbing holding of Aang's forearm when he knelt down beside his sister, "The whole place is coming down!"

"I can't just leave her to die!"

A sudden geyser of molten lava burst through the floor, spraying hot ash and noxious fumes into the air. The temple floors erupted in flames and began to melt away. Black smoke rose and expanded, making breathing extremely difficult. With its will finally accomplished, the avatar spirit finally went out of Zuko. He crumpled to the ground, heaps fiery debris falling all around him, half burying his limp body.

Acting on pure instinct, Sokka fought his way through leaping fire and yawning craters to make his way over to his fallen friend and pull him free. "Can you stand up?" he asked Zuko urgently.

"I don't even know what's happening," the half conscious boy mumbled before blacking out completely.

"Come on," Sokka said, hoisting Zuko to his feet and slinging him over his shoulder completely. "I'll carry you out of here." He flashed a look over to where Katara was still attempting to convince Aang to leave his sister behind. "Aang! Katara," he screamed as he began hopping back the way he'd come, "We need to get out now! This place isn't going to stand much longer!"

Katara tugged at Aang with increased urgency. "Please, Aang…" she begged, "We have to go now!"

Just as Aang started to scoop Azula into his arms, however, his sister's hand shot out to grab hold of his throat. Katara reaction was automatic and brutal. She whipped forward a stunning blow of water and ice, smacking Azula across the face and knocking her aside. Once the other girl's hold was loosened, Katara grabbed hold of Aang's hand and ran like the dark spirits themselves were chasing her.

Coughing and struggling for breath, they cut a weaving path through the crumbling building, searching desperately for an exit as Azula dogged their heels. Blue fire whizzed past them, periodically illuminating the darkness and rocking the already shaky foundation of the temple. In their efforts to dodge Azula, they soon lost track of Sokka in the dense tufts of smoke. Beams cracked and bowed around them. The floor began to rise and split apart.

Recognizing that his sister was fully prepared to speed along the disintegration of the temple if it meant besting him, Aang yanked Katara aside into a temporary hiding place between two beams that were listing but still standing, aware that Azula was only a little distance away. "You have to go without me," he told Katara urgently.

She gaped at him. "What?"

"She's not going to stop coming," Aang explained hurriedly. To emphasize his point, blue flames crackled and burst in the distance, interspersed with Azula's taunts for Aang to come out and face her. "She wants me and she'll kill us all if I don't go to her."

"No, I w—,"

"—Listen to me," Aang said, plowing past her arguments as Azula advanced, "Once Zuko completes his waterbending training make sure he gets to Omashu. Don't worry about the firebending…my uncle will take of the rest."

"Why are you talking like you're not going to be there?" Katara cried.

"Because I'm not," he said. Before she could completely freak out over that declaration, Aang cradled her face in his hands and sealed his lips to hers in a fiercely passionate, but altogether brief kiss. Katara barely had time to assimilate that it was happening at all before he reared back and sighed, "I just needed to know what it felt like to kiss you." In a dizzying blur, he surged to his feet and tugged her along with him. "Now, get out of here!" he ordered, shoving her in the opposite direction of his sister's blue fire, "Go!"

"Aang, wait! _Wait!_" Katara's attempt to hold him back yielded little except the billowing breeze made by his swift and sudden departure. She hesitated for a moment, poised on the edge of indecision, not knowing whether she should follow him or join her brother. When Katara emerged from the temple a few minutes later, choking and gasping for air, she was mentally and physically exhausted. However, she knew she'd made the right decision when she found Sokka already there on Appa, waiting for her.

"Where have you been?" he cried in near hysteria as she began her climb up the shaggy bison's flank. He anxiously scanned the area behind her. "Where's Aang?"

Unable to answer the question for the acrid ball of anguish that suddenly formed in her throat, Katara merely shook her head mutely. Moments later, a loud hiss and crash sounded from behind as the temple collapsed in on itself in a smoking heap. Katara and Sokka watched with stares of pure horror.

"Tell me Aang wasn't still inside there," Sokka begged, "Katara, tell me!" Unfortunately, one glance at his sister's face was all the confirmation he needed. Sokka bit back his reactive whimper of pain.

Numb inside, Katara carefully lay down beside an unconscious Zuko and curled into his limp body, fingering her lips and shaking with tears she couldn't cry. Momo crept over and curled between them, whimpering miserably. Sokka, however, couldn't give into his grief. Near the beach, he could clearly see a fleet of Fire Nation ships and troops mobilizing on the ground. Although he ached with Aang's loss, the warrior he'd been raised to be squared his shoulders.

"Aang did what he had to do," he uttered thickly, "And now so do we." He stared out towards the horizon and the waiting blockade, preparing himself for the fight of his young life. "Come on, Appa," he said, "Let's fly."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: I just wanted to stop and thank you all for your fantastic reviews. When I first conceived this story, I was really nervous about posting it. Firstly, I didn't want it to be a rehash of the show. And secondly, I realized by Aang and Zuko trading places I'd be messing with everyone's ships. Thank you all my reviewers (and lurkers) for giving this story a chance in spite of that. Now enough with the sappiness. Go on and read.**

**2nd A/N: I see some readers have a problem with me making Aang "too perfect" and I wanted to address that. I actually don't believe I'm doing that at all. In the first season, canon Aang made exactly one mistake: he lied about Hakoda's correspondence. That's it. And that was a direct result of his youth and insecurity. The rest of the time he had a penchant for not taking matters as seriously as he should have, which usually landed him in trouble…which is exactly the way I portray him in this story. Every single time the kids have had issues in this story, Aang was at the heart of it. Secondly, canon Aang was a 12 year old boy and acted lke it. _My_ Aang is nearly sixteen...there are going to be some differences in the level of maturity. In the series, however, canon Aang was always brave, always loyal and always willing to stick his neck out for anyone who needed him. I've given my Aang the same qualities.**

**In contrast, canon Zuko in season one was a selfish douche 90% of the time. He was impatient, disrespectful, willful and thoroughly unlikeable at some points. I think I've done a fair job of toning all of that down in this story. My Zuko is not nearly the selfish jerkface canon Zuko was and he has tons more on his plate than canon Zuko ever had. Yes, Zuko is the Avatar in this story and yes, his journey needs to be the focus, which is why I've chosen to write certain events happening the way that they have. However, I am not going to go looking for a way to give Aang _additional_ flaws just so Zuko can look better by comparison. I'm trying to model their characters as closely to their canon counterparts as I can. If that's unacceptable to you, I'd kindly suggest you stop reading this story. However, if my way of writing things is acceptable to you, I hope you enjoy reading Zuko's journey to becoming the powerful, awesome Avatar he was born to be.**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

The first thing Zuko asked when he regained consciousness was, "Where's Aang?" It was a ridiculously simple question, but giving the answer proved to be incredibly hard. Katara and Sokka traded a tentative look, reluctant to answer him right away.

Getting through the Fire Nation blockade had been nothing short of miraculous. It had been a narrow escape past an endless barrage of flaming boulders, fire blasts and fiery arrows to cross the Fire Nation border and enter the relative safety of Earth Kingdom seas. From the smoking remains of Roku's temple and even a little beyond their own borders, the Fire Navy had doggedly pursued them. By the time they were well out of range and the last Fire Navy ship had retreated behind them, becoming nothing more than a speck of dust on the sea, man and beast were thoroughly exhausted. After flying practically the entire evening and some part of the early morning, Sokka finally brought Appa down on the first stretch of land he found, a barren little strip in the middle of nowhere with only a cactus or two and a darting mole for company.

He and Katara didn't even bother to set up camp that morning, which was uncharacteristic for them. Instead, they had worked together to remove Zuko's limp body from Appa's saddle and laid him out on Katara's sleeping bag. Though worried that he'd been out for so long, both siblings were hopeful that Zuko's continued lethargy had more to do with fatigue than injury. On the whole, he seemed fine, only tired.

In the meantime, they didn't eat, weren't at all hungry, which was almost a profane thing where Sokka was concerned. But, for the first time he could remember, Sokka couldn't stomach the sight of food. He didn't even want to _think_ about it.

So they watched Zuko and waited for him to wake up. The sun began to sag behind the horizon and still they waited. Appa and Momo slumbered loudly on the edge of camp and still they waited. The siblings dozed periodically, riddled with nightmares and guilt and fear only to wake with an anxious start. They would then check on Zuko, then settle back before the fire and the cycle would start again. It was during one of those times that Zuko finally chose to wake up. And that's when he asked…

"Where's Aang?"

"How are you feeling?" Sokka asked in smooth evasion as he and Katara crawled over to Zuko's pallet.

The young Avatar grunted, contemplating that question because, at the moment, he felt a great many things. "Tired. Sleepy. Confused," he mumbled. He squinted again as he became aware of his surroundings. He was no longer in Roku's sanctuary, but outside and night was just beginning to fall.

"Where are we?" he asked, frowning, "When did we leave the temple?"

"You mean you don't remember leaving?" Katara asked him.

"We had to run," Sokka reminded him. "Firebenders were all over the place."

"They were? I don't remember that." Neither Sokka nor Katara found that incredibly surprising. He had been unconscious for most of the harrowing journey. "I don't remember _anything_," Zuko emphasized with a tired groan, "Except…"

"Except what?" Katara prodded.

Zuko closed his eyes, concentrating on the memory that flirted at the very edges of his awareness. "I remember being in the sanctuary and I…I spoke to Roku and…Yangchen…" Zuko recalled slowly.

"Yangchen? Who's Yangchen?" Sokka echoed, brows furrowed, "Zuko, are you still confused?"

"I'm not confused," he retorted a little testily, "And stop yelling at me. I can hear you just fine!" While his bluster left Sokka making a face, it made Katara smile. Some of her worry for Zuko eased considerably with his flash of irritation. She knew that if he was biting off heads, Zuko was definitely feeling better.

"Who's Yangchen?" Sokka asked in much softer tone.

Zuko pushed himself up onto his elbow, supporting his weight there despite the swimming vertigo the movement caused. "Yangchen…she was the last Air Nomad Avatar…that is before me," he added with a near smile, "It was amazing seeing her…almost like having my people back again."

"Oh…" Sokka and Katara replied concurrently, not really knowing what else they could say. Of the two, however, Katara recovered the fastest. "So you spoke to them both?" she asked, "What did they tell you?"

"Lots of things," he said, "But the most important thing is that there's a comet coming. It will be here in the summer. Sozin's Comet."

"And this has what to do with us?" Sokka pressed.

"It will give the Firebenders unimaginable power, that's what it has to do with us," Zuko explained. He shifted upright completely; ignoring Katara's clucking protests for him to take it easy _and_ the raging pain in his head. The world expanded and contracted before his eyes. He thought he might get sick, but he bit down against the impulse. He had more important things to attend to and throwing up wasn't on the list.

Only when Zuko was sure that he'd regained his bearings did he speak again. "Roku told me that I have to defeat Firelord Ozai before the comet comes or…"

"Or?" Katara prodded.

"Or it's all over," Zuko answered grimly. "That's why I need to talk to Aang. I need him to tell me everything he knows about Sozin's Comet, any weaknesses his father might have, whatever might be helpful… I have to master all four elements by this coming summer. I'm going to need as much of an edge as I can get." When Katara and Sokka failed to react to that declaration, Zuko scowled at them, impatience flaring. "Well? Where is he?"

After a rough swallow, Sokka informed him without preamble, "Aang's gone, Zuko."

"What?" Zuko scoffed in mild exasperation. "Did he need 'alone' time again?"

"No, he's _gone_, Zuko," Katara stressed thickly. "Something happened at the temple, something _bad_ and…" She dropped her eyes to her lap, twiddling her fingers with nervous anxiety, unable to meet his expectant stare. "He didn't come out with us."

"Are you saying you left him behind?" Zuko accused stridently.

"It's not like we had a choice!" Sokka flared defensively. "You were out cold. The temple was falling down on our heads. Firebenders were mobilizing inside _and_ outside! I don't know how _any_ of us made it out!"

"When the temple collapsed, Aang was still inside," Katara revealed bluntly. "We didn't see him come out."

Zuko squinted, hearing the words and understanding them, but unable to assimilate the information at all. It was too big, too unbelievable. He had to dissect what he was hearing in inches, piece by painstaking piece. "You're saying the temple collapsed and Aang didn't come out with you? You're saying that he's…?"

He couldn't complete the sentence. In fact, he was surprised by how much it hurt to even contemplate doing so. There was a strange ache in his chest, almost as if he couldn't breathe…like he was suffocating. Anyone would find that to be the worst feeling imaginable. For an Airbender, it was sheer agony. Though it wasn't like what Zuko had felt when he learned of Gyatso's death, the pain was close…similar. At the very least, it felt just as sudden and unexpected.

He was silent for so long, still for so long, that Sokka actually reached out to nudge him from his blank, unresponsive stare. "Are you okay?"

Zuko brushed off his concern. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" he snapped, abruptly pushing to his feet. "I barely knew him."

Left a little stunned by his reaction or, rather, his _lack_ of reaction, Sokka and Katara watched as Zuko was swallowed by the dense darkness beyond their camp. He didn't say where he was going. He didn't say whether or not he'd be back. He simply left…and, feeling helpless, they watched him do it.

"He didn't mean that," Sokka muttered when he turned to regard Katara and found her eyes glassy with tears. "He's still in shock."

"But he's right," Katara agreed softly. "Aang was in our lives for less than a month. It took Zuko almost that long to trust him. We _did_ barely know him, Sokka."

"I guess you're right."

"So why…?"

"Why what, Katara?"

"Why does it hurt so much?" Unable to answer, Sokka simply placed his arm around her and held her close.

****

"It's time to go."

Sokka opened his eyes and squinted up into the hazy light of the new day. Zuko loomed over him, mouth tight and eyes determined. "Get up," he said.

Dutifully, Sokka got up, rousing Katara as he did. "What time is it?" he yawned.

"Early," came Zuko's curt answer. "I've already loaded our belongings on Appa. We need to move on."

Katara frowned, caught off guard by his tone, which was more abrupt than usual. "Zuko, don't you think you should rest some m—,"

"No, I don't!" he bit out sharply, startling both Katara and Sokka with his sudden vehemence. "We've wasted enough time already. I'm leaving for the North Pole now. You can come with me or not. But if you're coming, then let's go."

"Okay," Sokka sighed after a tense beat of silence, "Let's go."

After ten days of traveling, Katara and Sokka came to the realization that Zuko wasn't Zuko anymore. Gone was the rather gloomy and quiet, but exceedingly sensitive, loyal and determined young man they'd come to know…and love. In his place was an equally determined young man, but this one was cold and callous and even sometimes cruel. Sokka and Katara had great difficulty reconciling the two. They had suspected he would take the news about Aang hard, but nothing had prepared them for the reaction they were getting.

He didn't want to make conversation. He didn't want to talk about his feelings. He didn't even seem to want to be friends anymore. They were just there with him, little more than appendages, sloughed along for the sole purpose of making his journey smoother. Zuko's sole concern was to eat, sleep and travel and he did all of that with mechanical efficiency. He was became a brooding stranger to Katara and Sokka and a thoroughly unlikeable one at that, which left them wondering daily where _their_ Zuko had gone. As the days quickly blended into weeks, the Water Tribe siblings began to seriously question the wisdom of continuing his journey with him.

The reality was, however, that _their_ Zuko hadn't gone anywhere. What they mistook for detachment and callous indifference was really little more than masked fear and overwhelming grief. Zuko was filled with anguish and scared all the time. He ignored and mistreated them in the half hope that they _would_ leave him. At least then he would know they were safe. At least then they wouldn't end up like… He closed his mind off to the thought. He didn't want them to end up like that and so he did the thing that came most naturally to him and he pushed them away. He isolated himself.

Yet, even as he was doing everything in his power to send them running in the opposite direction, Zuko didn't want Sokka and Katara to leave. They were all he had left in the world, besides Appa. He needed them. He loved them. But, ironically, it was that same love that made him deathly afraid of losing them too. He was simply unable to verbalize those feelings to them.

"Zuko," Sokka cried so that he could be heard over the roaring wind as they raced through the sky, "we've been flying for practically two days straight. Appa's tired! We're tired! _You're_ tired! We should stop for the day and pick up tomorrow morning. We'll give ourselves plenty of time to rest that way."

"Don't tell me how I feel!" Zuko snapped. "I'll say when I'm ready to stop for the day and I'm not ready to stop!"

Sokka and Katara exchanged a look, not extraordinarily surprised by his terse dismissal but hurt nonetheless. They slumped back together in Appa's saddle, once again locked in a moment of indecision over whether they should stay with Zuko or not. However, a few minutes later when they looked up again and noticed that Appa's reins hung loosely in Zuko's hands because he had slumped over, exhaustion finally getting mastery over him, Sokka and Katara knew they weren't going anywhere. He was decidedly unpleasant and definitely a pain in the butt in recent days, but he needed them and they knew it. And because they knew that, no matter what he did or said or how horribly he acted, they were _not_ going to leave him.

"I think he finally fell asleep," Sokka observed.

"What should we do?" Katara asked. "Should we take Appa down?"

"Are you kidding!" Sokka snorted shortly, "And risk having his head explode because we stopped for the day? No, thank you. Let's just put him in Appa's saddle and I'll take over the reins for the day."

"But you're just as tired as the rest of us," Katara protested.

"No, I'm not. I've been sleeping." He pointed at Zuko. "He hasn't." And then he turned a somber look towards his sister. "Neither have you." Katara immediately dropped her eyes and raised her guard with the pointed scrutiny. Sokka sighed. "Why won't you talk about what happened with Aang before you left the temple?" he entreated.

"I already told you what happened," Katara insisted a little angrily, "He said to get Zuko to Omashu after his waterbending training was complete. He said that his uncle would teach Zuko firebending."

"There's more," Sokka concluded knowingly.

Katara crossed her arms, stubbornly resolved. "That's it."

"Fine!" Sokka snapped, "Don't tell me! But you're almost as bad as Zuko holding stuff in the way you do!"

Afterwards, the subject was dropped and though Sokka's accusation did hit remarkably close to home. Pensive and silent, Katara dutifully helped her brother make the careful, but dangerous transfer of a sleeping Zuko from Appa's head to his saddle while in flight. Once Zuko was settled, Katara curled up on the opposite side of the saddle to watch him while he slept. Even in repose he was agitated and restless, beleaguered by countless nightmares. Katara wanted to hold him, to soothe his pain away if she could. But she knew without trying that if she moved to lie beside him, he would turn away from her. He always did.

With that depressing acknowledgement swirling in her mind, Katara finally closed her eyes. She was asleep within seconds. Her next awareness was of Sokka frantically calling Zuko's name.

As Katara was blinking away the last vestiges of grogginess, Zuko was grumpily demanding, "What is it?"

"Look over there!" Sokka bid, pointing in the distance. Beyond the wisps of a few clouds, the rooftop of the Northern Air Temple was plainly visible. Above that rooftop, gliders circled like wild, gilded birds kissed by the sun. "Are those…are those _Airbenders_?"

Zuko scrambled completely erect then, his heart pounding crazily as he leaned out over the edge of Appa's saddle for a closer look. However, just as quickly as the excitement and hope had flared, it died. "No," he answered gruffly, "those aren't Airbenders."

"But…but they're flying," Katara protested, still dazed by the magnificent and miraculous sight. "They're amazing…"

"They're not flying. They're _gliding_," Zuko emphasized, "I can tell by the way they move. Those aren't Airbenders. Those people have no spirit."

"What do you want us to do, Zuko?" Sokka asked.

"Take us down," Zuko determined, "Those people _aren't_ Airbenders, so they don't belong at the temple."

Moments later they were navigating their way through a flock of laughing, gliding children. Closer inspection only served to make Zuko angrier. There weren't merely a few of them, as he'd first assumed, there was a whole _community_ of people living in the temple, _all_ non-Airbenders. As Sokka took Appa down for a landing, Zuko could already spot some of the modifications that had been made to the temple…his people's beautiful, sacred temple! Desecrated further after the Firebenders attack by these interlopers! Zuko's temper quickly approached critical mass.

After they landed one of the gliders came in for a landing with them. To their amazing discovery, it was a boy in a wheelchair. When he came to a complete stop, he wheeled himself over to them. "Can I help you?" he wondered politely.

"I'd like to see who's in charge here," Zuko announced brusquely.

Surrounding children and spectators began murmuring amongst themselves at his bold demand. The crowd pressed closer as the wheelchair bound boy fired back, equally bold, "Why? What's it to you?"

"Because you're trespassing, that's why!" Zuko spit back tartly. "This is an Air Nomad temple and you aren't Air Nomads! You don't belong here!"

It was then that the boy's eyes flared wide with belated recognition, tipped off by Zuko's obvious affront at finding him and his people there. "Oh…oh wow," he breathed in amazement, "You must be the Avatar! I've heard stories that you had returned, but… I wasn't expecting you to be a kid like me. That's pretty awesome."

Zuko didn't acknowledge a single word he said. "The person in charge, please," he insisted tersely.

"Oh yeah…" the boy said, visibly disappointed by Zuko's reaction, "That would be my father. I'll take you to him." He hesitated a moment, adding in afterthought, "I'm Teo, by the way."

"I'm Katara," Katara spoke up quickly when Zuko seemed disinclined to make the introductions himself. "Your chair is nice," she complimented, "And your gliding's pretty good too."

"Thanks," Teo piped. "My dad made this chair. He's an inventor." He slid a questioning look towards Sokka and Zuko, obviously waiting for their names as well.

"Oh, I completely forgot," Katara said self-deprecatingly. "This is my brother Sokka and this is Zuko. You already figured out that he's the Avatar." Feeling herself grow increasingly self-conscious under the level of scrutiny they were receiving, especially because both Sokka and Zuko didn't say anything, she added rather lamely, "We…we've been traveling all night. That's why we're all a little cranky."

Teo smiled at her. "No problem. I'll take you to my father now."

He led them through the main gate of the temple. From there, Zuko received the full, unobstructed view of the "modifications" that had been made. The temple was nothing like he remembered it. There were steam powered contraptions and machinery as far as he could see.

"Wow, this place is really something," Sokka whistled, obviously impressed with what he saw.

Zuko, however, was a different story. "I guess 'something' is a way to describe it," he muttered bitterly.

What had once been high ceilings with open windows to let in lots of sunlight and fresh, clean air was now a jumbled mass of pipes and gears, rusted with age and coated with dust. They blotted out the sun's glowing rays and choked the air with their fumes and smoke. Zuko was both disgusted and devastated. The filth and the defamation were almost too much to bear. The deeper Teo took them into the temple, the worse it became. By the time they reached the courtyard, which somehow had remained relatively untouched except for a few junk piles, Zuko was on the verge of explosion.

"Dad!" Teo called out to a wiry, eccentric looking man with a shock of dark hair and a prominent bald spot, "I need to talk to you!" The man wore a green tunic, overlaid with a white apron and looked, for all intents and purposes, very busy. "We have some visitors."

Teo's father barely acknowledged their arrival and continued darting from one end of the courtyard to the other, evidently engrossed in his newest body of work. "Just a moment, Teo…" his father bid him, "I need to tweak one more thing and then…" A second later a small hand shot out to cover his, stilling the work of his nimble fingers. He looked up then and found himself staring into the narrowed, angry eyes of a young boy he'd never seen before.

"I think you'll talk to me now," Zuko stated succinctly.

"Excuse me? Should I know you?" the man asked with a frown. When he virtually had to tug his hand from Zuko's squeezing grasp, he added with a touch of annoyance, "Who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" Zuko flared back, "Are you the one responsible for that junk heap inside the temple?"

"I…I beg your pardon, young man," Teo's father sputtered, "but my inventions are not 'junk heaps'!" He scowled at his son, gesturing his gloved hand towards Zuko. "Teo, who is this boy? What's going on here?"

"Dad, this is _Avatar Zuko_," Teo explained softly, wheeling over towards his father, "This temple once belonged to his people."

"The Avatar?" his father guffawed. He looked Zuko over once more, unable to reconcile Teo's words with what he saw before him. "But…but he can't be much older than twelve!"

"I'm thirteen," Zuko clarified between clenched teeth, "And I know what this place is supposed to look like because I was here 100 years ago when the monks were alive! You don't belong here!"

To emphasize his point, Zuko flipped his staff through the air, using it to split and strike out with deadly accuracy. He sliced out pockets of wind that obliterated the various contraptions and gizmos littered about the courtyard, ignoring the shouting protests from his friends and the mechanist himself. One by one, the shattered remnants of his inventions were blown off the mountaintop.

"What are you doing?" the mechanist cried, running to and fro in a desperate attempt to save something, but Zuko was relentless. "My inventions! My precious inventions!"

Once the courtyard was clear of everything save the sacred statues, Zuko then rounded on the mechanist with a feral growl. "Get out of here! _All of you!_ I want you out right now!"

Katara placed a tentative hand on Zuko's shoulder, cringing inside when she noted the way Teo and his father were cowering before him. "Zuko, please…" she whispered gently, hoping to settle his anger before it flared out of hand, "I'm sure they didn't mean any harm by what they've done."

"Does it matter?" he sneered, his words thick with the pain and loss he felt. It was too soon after Aang, too soon after _everything_ and Zuko had simply been pushed to his breaking point. "It's all destroyed anyway. This was my heritage, Katara. This is the history of my people and they desecrated it!" He raked the mechanist with a seething look, feeling his hatred and rage finally boil over. "And for that…" he said, his voice multiplying as his past lives invaded his sprit and his eyes vacated with an ominous glow, "…they must pay."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Katara threw her arms around him.

It was an incredibly dangerous move given his volatile state. But she didn't think about the consequences of what could possibly happen to her. Her actions were wholly instinctive, spurred on by a fierce need to protect. After what had transpired in Roku's temple, she simply couldn't simply stand back and watch Zuko go to that dark, horrifying place again. She would die first.

"Zuko, don't!" she begged, pressing her face into his shoulder and hugging him tight, "Please don't… It's okay. I'm here. Please…I'm here…"

Her anguished pleading penetrated his shield of rage. He gradually felt it drain out of him, his feet coming into contact with the ground below as the glowing light from the avatar spirit began to fade from his eyes. Zuko released a shuddering breath. Swallowing her sob of relief, Katara slumped against him, cradling him closer and thankful that he did not push her away. Though he didn't return her embrace or even allow himself to relax in her arms, the feel of Katara's arms around him was just what Zuko needed. The pent up emotion in his chest began to tremble throughout his entire body. He shivered in her arms uncontrollably, tears shimmering in his eyes.

Teo and his father stared at Zuko in mounting fear, not knowing what to make of him and afraid to even blink. "We're sorry if we frightened you," Sokka spoke up because Zuko was too overwhelmed with emotion to do so, "We lost our friend a little over a week ago and…we haven't been dealing with it very well. I think seeing the temple in the condition that it's in just put Zuko over the edge."

"This is a sacred temple," Zuko emphasized gruffly, speaking for the first time since his near meltdown. He gently shrugged away Katara's hold so that he could stand tall and face the mechanist. "This isn't what this place was meant to be. This isn't what the monks would have wanted," he declared, his voice growing stronger with each word, "This is a disgrace!"

"This is our home," Teo replied emphatically.

"This was like _my_ home," Zuko countered with equal emotion, "I spent a good portion of my life here and look what you've done to it!" He felt his anger surge anew. "What are you doing here? Who said you could be here?"

"What am I doing here?" the mechanist mumbled to himself before raising his eyes to address Zuko again. "A long time ago, not 100 years, but some time ago my people came here. There was a terrible flood and our town was wiped away. We had no place to go. My infant son was badly injured and we'd lost his mother." He looked over at his son, holding back the bittersweet tears that the memory brought with it. Sokka and Katara were moved as well, but Zuko listened to the account with a dispassionate stare. "We needed some place to rebuild and, after walking for what seemed like months up this mountain and braving wild animals and the harsh elements, we found this place.

"It was like…a miracle. Salvation. And it was abandoned," he went on, "I couldn't believe it. We looked around. Everywhere we explored there were these murals and pictures of flying people. It was amazing, but there was no one here. Eventually, I came across these fan-like contraptions…" he recalled, unconsciously spreading his arms wide as he explained.

"So you found our gliders too?" Zuko concluded grimly, "Fantastic."

"Yes," the mechanist confirmed, "They were spectacular. Little, light flying machines and they gave me an idea. I decided to build a new life for my son…a life in the air. Then everyone would be on equal ground, so to speak. I've been improving on my designs ever since."

"You call _this_ improving?" He twirled about the courtyard, gesturing to the various mechanisms and gaping holes in the temple's once polished veneer. "It's a wreck!" Zuko scoffed, "All you did was destroy what the Firebenders left untouched when they raided this place! I'm sorry your town suffered and I'm sorry you suffered, but I can't allow you to stay here."

"B-But where are we supposed to go?" the mechanist stammered.

"We've lived here all of my life!" Teo cried.

"Zuko, you can't just throw them out," Katara reasoned firmly, "This is the only home they've known for years!"

He pinned her with a steely glare, not the least bit conflicted over his plans. "Watch me." When Katara opened her mouth to protest further, Sokka made a furtive cutting motion across his throat, a distinct warning for her to keep her mouth shut. Zuko turned his displeased gaze back towards the mechanist. "Can I hope there are _any_ places in the temple you've left undefiled?" he demanded querulously.

"There's the sanctuary," Teo volunteered, hoping that the information would soften Zuko. Perhaps if he knew that there was one place in the temple that had been preserved, he wouldn't throw them out. Teo was so intent on appealing to the antagonistic young Avatar that he failed to notice his father's frenetic efforts to cut him off, "It's been sealed since I could remember. No one has ever gone inside."

"Good," Zuko said with a nod. "At least I can take comfort in knowing that one room in this place hasn't been destroyed."

"What do you plan to do now?" the mechanist asked weakly.

"I will salvage what I can," Zuko told him. "You and your people will leave."

"But, I…you don't understand," Teo's father protested uncomfortably, "There are things…business I must attend…"

"I don't care what you have to do," Zuko interrupted in a clipped tone, his eyes chilly with resolve. "I want you all gone. Now pack your things and leave here!"

After Teo and his father had slumped away, presumably to carry out the orders that Zuko had just given them, Sokka and Katara made a tentative approach towards their friend. "Are you really just going to throw those people out into the wilderness?" Katara wondered.

"You think I'm being heartless, don't you?" Zuko queried, jaw tight.

"Well, you kinda are," Sokka interjected, "I thought you were going to blow them to smithereens a moment ago. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Katara poked him for his trouble. They exchanged brief glares before she returned her attention to Zuko. "Don't pay attention to Sokka! I don't think you're being heartless at all," she refuted, "Quite the opposite actually. I think you're in incredible pain. I think you're leading with your heart right now and it's clouding your judgment a little."

Zuko turned his back on them, not wanting to acknowledge the reason in her argument, but unable to close his ears to it either. He steepled his fingers against his lips as if in a silent prayer for guidance and inhaled a deep, meditative breath. "I don't want them here," he murmured. "They don't belong. It's wrong for them to be here."

"Then who does belong here?" Katara pressed meaningfully. "The Air Nomads are long gone, Zuko. Are you really going to turn away an entire community of people who have made this their home, just to preserve it for phantoms from the past? What would the monks want you to do?"

Shamed by her question, Zuko glanced back at her. However, she wasn't regarding him with severe condemnation, as he'd expected, but compassion and understanding. Zuko was softened by her expression. Even after he'd been nothing but a callous jerk to her in recent days, Katara could still look at him that way. She somehow _still_ managed to look past his anger and gruff exterior to see his true heart.

He knew the last week he had been nothing less than horrible and yet, not once had she and Sokka ever stopped supporting him. Not once had they abandoned him. There was a time in Zuko's life when he imagined that no one would ever love and accept him the way Gyatso had, that anyone besides that charming old man would be able to tolerate the volatile anger that simmered beneath the surface. But Sokka and Katara did.

Right or wrong, good or bad, light or dark, they stuck with him. They believed in him. They had saved his life in every way that could possibly count. Gyatso had once told him that, "the advice we fight the hardest, is often the choice we should make." Zuko now recognized the merit in the wise Airbender's words. If Sokka and Katara believed he was being arbitrary in asking Teo and his people to leave, then perhaps there was some reason to their argument. The least he could do was consider it.

"Okay," he sighed finally. "Let me think about it and I'll let you know."

Behind him, Sokka and Katara traded relieved glasses. The younger of the two stepped forward and touched Zuko's shoulder. "Do you want to be alone?"

Zuko answered with a terse nod. "For a little while…"

"We'll be around when you make your decision, Zuko," Sokka reassured him.

He tried to gather his thoughts in the courtyard, but even outside, the distinctive hiss and sizzle of the meandering pipes within the temple walls was audible and…distracting. Knowing it was there, seeing the small signs of what had been done there, even in the courtyard which had been left relatively unscathed, only threatened to renew the anger Zuko was trying to control. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't relax enough to close his eyes, much less meditate. In the end, he decided to go to the temple sanctuary to seek tranquility there. It was the one place where the spirit of his people still existed. It was the one place where he was likely to find some peace of mind.

Several minutes later, Zuko found himself standing in front of the sealed door. Part of him was reluctant to open it. After all that had been done to the temple, all that had been changed, he wanted to leave this one portion sacred and untouched. But the very fact that it _was_ sacred and untouched was the reason he needed to enter in the first place. Perhaps, if he could find some way to be close to his people again, the confusion, rage and fear pervading his heart would abate. Perhaps, the world would make sense again…

So, he closed his eyes, drew in a long, steady breath and bent out a curling stream of air to open the door. As it yawned open, Zuko actually sucked in a gasp of anticipation. But what began as a soundless, reverential inhalation quickly became a growl of infuriated horror when he discovered the sanctuary wasn't so untouched after all.

The room was cluttered from wall to wall with haphazard scaffolding stacked with weaponry, all bearing the Fire Nation insignia. Zuko drifted further into the room, unable to believe his eyes, growing more and more revolted with each new thing that he saw. His people had been _murdered_ literally in their own homes and that man, _that disrespectful idiot_ had the sheer audacity to create weapons for the very people guilty of the crime _and_ in the very place they had committed that crime too!

He was going to kill him. The decision was reached with amazing alacrity and surprising calm. Zuko was going to kill him and…he would enjoy every second of it.

Enraged, he stalked through the corridors, bellowing at the top of his lungs, blasting open doors on either side of him as he hunted for the mechanist. He drew a lot of attention. People were screaming and crying and running. Some merely hovered in the thresholds of their rooms, curious about the commotion. Others displayed cold, mute fear. Some others were angry and confused.

Sokka and Katara came running, with Teo wheeling close behind them, just as the mechanist materialized on the adjacent end of the hallway. Zuko didn't even blink. He blasted the inventor so hard that the wiry man went airborne on a shaft of air that punched him back into the wall with enough impetus to crack the mortar. He crumpled to the floor, groaning.

"Dad!" Teo cried in alarm, wheeling over to his fallen father's side.

"Zuko, what are you doing!" Katara yelled, grabbing hold of him when he would have attacked again.

"What kind of Avatar are you?" Teo accused as he assisted his father upright. "What's wrong with you? He's unarmed!"

"What's wrong with _me_? What's wrong with him?" Zuko sneered, "What kind of man is he?" Sokka and Katara worked valiantly to hold him back as he ranted insensibly and pushed against them. "Let me go! You don't know what he's done! He's a liar! He makes weapons for the Fire Nation!"

"What?" came the surprised pepper of responses from the crowd gathered. Dozens of eyes whipped around to stare at the mechanist as he staggered to his feet.

Teo was the first to speak. "Dad, what's he talking about? Is that true?" he whispered. "Are you making weapons for the Fire Nation?"

"You don't understand the position I've been put in," his father prefaced quickly. "They gave me no choice. Either I helped them or they would have destroyed this place…" He turned an imploring stare towards the gathering crowd of his people. "They would have destroyed all of us."

"Well, it's over now," Zuko determined between clenched teeth, "Your business with the Fire Nation is done! What you've been doing here makes me sick and it will happen again over my dead body…_and yours_!"

"Zuko, no…" Sokka cautioned, more than a little fearful that, in his highly emotional state, Zuko would do something that he could not take back later.

"I…I've already told their emissary as much," the mechanist stammered. "The deal is off."

Zuko's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits with this new bit of information. "He was here?"

The mechanist began to wring his hands. "Only a short while ago," he revealed. "He wanted the arsenal I had promised, but I told him I was unable to conclude our business. He was very angry…aggressive. Finally, I told him that you were here and, quite frankly, I'd rather risk his wrath than the Avatar's. After I mentioned you, he couldn't leave fast enough."

"Way to give him up there," Sokka mumbled, offside, "I can tell you're a rock when it comes to sensitive information."

The mechanist had the grace to look sheepish. "He said he was bringing back an army with him."

The people gasped, fear reverberating through the crowd. "How are we supposed to fight a Fire Nation army?" Teo asked grimly. He stared at his father, disillusioned and hurt. "Dad, how could you do this? How could you put us in this position?"

Seeing Teo's reaction did much to lessen Zuko's righteous indignation, though it wasn't obliterated completely. However, he could see that Teo was visibly disgusted by what his father had done. In a strange way then, the boy had some small understanding of what Zuko was feeling.

What his father had done was just as much a betrayal to Teo as it had been to Zuko and the young Avatar was surprised to realize that he sympathized with Teo. When Zuko turned to regard the people, he found they were regarding the Mechanist with expressions similar to Teo's. It was then that he recognized that his anger had been misdirected. The Mechanist alone was responsible for the hardship ahead of them. The people were suffering as a result of _his_ actions, just as Zuko's own people had suffered as a result of his. It was with that harsh realization that Zuko's heart finally unclenched with the hatred that had seized hold of it. He was moved with pity, even when he didn't necessarily _want_ to be.

"Pack all the belongings you can onto your backs," Zuko told the crowd. "Now that your leader has severed ties with the Fire Nation this place will no longer be safe for you. Even if you managed to stand against the army coming, more would follow afterwards."

"But how will we escape?" someone from the crowd cried, "They're already on their way up here!"

"We'll be slaughtered!" another panicked.

"You should leave down the other side of the mountain," Zuko said, "While the Fire Nation is coming uphill for attack, you'll be retreating downhill."

The group before him was obviously distressed by the command and Zuko quickly addressed that. "I realize this is difficult for everyone," he said, "You'll have to start your lives over again someplace else and that's never easy." He glanced over at Sokka and Katara as he continued to speak, "I know this personally. But it _can_ be done. Now isn't the time for tears and fear. They're a waste of time! You need to take action. At least you can take comfort in knowing that you don't have to do this alone." He regarded the Water Tribe siblings with a silent look. _That helps_, he added in his mind, before turning back to address the crowd once again. "You've started new once before and you can do it again. This is about your survival and if you want to live, then you have to leave. There is no other choice."

As the people scurried about to carry out the Avatar's orders and grab any precious belongings they could, Zuko turned to Teo and said, "You and your friends, take your gliders and help guide the people down the mountainside. Seeing you there will reassure them. Take Appa," he added in afterthought, "Anyone too elderly or sick to go down the mountain can ride on him."

"What about me?" the mechanist asked.

"You're coming with me," Zuko determined tersely. "Sokka, Katara…go with Teo and make sure the people make it out of here safely." He flicked the mechanist with a scornful look. "They shouldn't have to pay the price for their leader's mistakes." And then he added in a lower tone, mostly to himself, "There's been enough of that already."

"We're not leaving you," Sokka stated flatly. "Whatever you've got planned, we're in."

"No!" Zuko flared sharply. "You're going with Teo! I don't want anything to happen to you guys! I couldn't take it."

"Why do you think we're staying?" Katara whispered softly. "We don't want anything bad to happen to you either."

Arguing with them would accomplish little and he knew it. Katara was nearly as stubborn as he was. Zuko nodded his acceptance of their plans and while they talked over strategy the mechanist and Teo had an emotional goodbye. "I want you to understand why I did what I did…" the father pleaded desperately with his son.

Teo could barely look at him, however. His brown eyes were brimming with tears. "I understand why you did it, Dad," he uttered, "I know you were only trying to protect us. I only wish you had asked someone for help…that you would have talked to us." He hung his head sadly. "Maybe it wouldn't have had to come to this."

The mechanist watched his heartbroken son wheel away before turning to address Zuko. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"We are going to destroy every last weapon that is in this temple," Zuko stated firmly, "And then, we are going to wait for that army to arrive and stop them."

"We can't do that," the inventor replied.

"Can't do what?" Sokka demanded. "I swear, if you give Zuko a hard time now, you're crazier than I thought."

"No, you don't understand," the mechanist rushed to explain, "There's a gas leak somewhere in the temple. Perhaps you haven't noticed that we've been using fireflies as a light source rather than lanterns."

"I've noticed," Sokka deadpanned, "I just thought you were weird."

"If we start a fire in this place, we could blow the entire thing sky high," the mechanist warned.

Rather than alarming the Avatar, however, the revelation caused his eyes to gleam. "Good," he murmured, "I believe that's exactly what I want. What do you know about rigging explosives?"

Half an hour later, the mechanist had put together an elaborate charge and threaded it throughout the entire temple. Even as he, Sokka, Katara and Zuko exited out the back, they could hear the Fire Nation tanks as they roared up the mountainside. They crouched down together in the snow, watching as the army made its advance, fireballs already raging, crushing pillars and demolishing stone.

"Zuko, shouldn't we do something to stop the army's advance? When they realize the people aren't in the temple, they're just going to go down the other side of the mountain after them," Sokka said.

"That's the entire point of the explosives, Sokka," Zuko replied coolly. "They're _not_ coming out of the temple. There's no need for us to fight them directly. We're just waiting for the perfect opportunity to spring the trap." He didn't let himself think about how his plans flew directly in the face of the teachings he'd known all of his life. Instead, Zuko concentrated on doing what he felt had to be done.

"Zuko, are you sure you want to do this?" Katara asked worriedly. "It seems so…so permanent. After you do this, the Northern Air Temple will be gone forever."

"It already is gone," Zuko replied. "This is the only way to protect the Mechanist's people and keep the Fire Nation from being a further threat to them. It has to be done."

"So how does this work?" Sokka asked the mechanist.

"I've tied a thick rope, soaked with fuel accelerate, around a rather large quantity of something I like to call fire sticks."

"Fire sticks?" Katara echoed, "What are those?"

"My latest invention for the Fire Nation," the mechanist replied, "A chemical compound is contained within each stick and when they are overheated they…"

"…Explode?" Sokka finished for him.

"Exactly. When that happens, we want to be far, far away."

"Have you tested these 'inventions'?" Zuko asked him. "I thought you said the gas leak prevented you from working with fire."

"They will work. I'm sure of it."

"They'd better," Zuko grumbled. The Fire Nation army began their invasion of the temple, storming the halls with deafening cries. "We need to get out of here now!"

"I'm going to set this rope alight," the Mechanist explained quickly, fumbling with his flint as he spoke. Fire flared to life and ignited the rope. "When the fire reaches the fire sticks there will be a big boom, so we'll want to be as far away as we possibly can. We can make our getaway on the extra gliders I have. Come with me."

They ran after him, crouching low to the ground as he took them to what had once been a meditative retreat for the monks, but was now another one of his work stations. "This is where I keep the inventions that are strictly for me," he explained. He gestured to a three finely constructed gliders, equipped with seats, harnesses and pedals, very similar to the one he'd built for his son situated on a stone landing pad. "This is how we're going to get down."

"Um yeah…I've never flown before," Katara hedged in uncertainty, "I'm not really sure that—," A fireball whizzed over her head unexpectedly, crashing into a wall of junk beyond them and igniting it. "On second thought," she revised, scrambling to get into the seat, "Let's go!"

"Just strap yourself in, pedal and the glider will do the rest," the mechanist instructed.

As Katara, Sokka and the mechanist made their daring escape; Zuko did what he could to slow down the advancing Firebenders. He bent up a thick partition of snow and ice and propelled it at them full speed. They were plowed over in the wave. Acting quickly, Zuko snapped open his glider and took for the skies amidst a hail of arcing fire blasts.

Mere seconds after he caught up with the others, the entire mountain shook with the force of the explosion the mechanist had rigged. The turbulence jostled and unsettled their flight, pelting them with debris, rocks and a shower of snow. Dirt and stone crumbled down the side of the mountain, creating a loud whooshing sound in its descent. As Sokka, Katara and the mechanist were bounced along in the air, Zuko whipped out a current of air with his foot, creating an up-shaft beneath the wings of the crafts to keep their gliders from spiraling out of control and crashing.

They landed a few moments later among deafening cheers and glad cries. But the elation was bittersweet. Beyond them, all that remained of the Northern Air Temple was a large, smoking crater where the temple and the top of the mountain had once been. Zuko stared up at the billowing columns of grey smoke and mourned the loss of it. He didn't even realize that he was crying until he felt the droplets falling onto his collar and Katara materialized alongside him to wipe them away. For the first time ever, he didn't immediately shrug away her touch, but actually turned into it, placing his hand against hers briefly.

"You okay?" she asked when they parted.

He cleared his throat and slowly shook his head. "Not really."

"Do you regret it?" Katara queried next, nodding wordlessly towards the smoking ruins of the temple.

"Not really," Zuko said again.

Katara stared at him, torn between skepticism and pity. "Zuko, I know that's not true," she whispered, "That temple was a part of your heritage. It was like your second home. Destroying it probably felt like destroying a part of yourself. You're entitled to be sad about that."

"But I'm really not," he refuted gruffly, "I'm not sad at all. As far as I'm concerned, that place stopped being the Northern Air Temple a long time ago."

His indifferent reply chilled Katara, so much so that she momentarily found herself questioning his true motives for blowing up the temple. Had he really wanted to save the Mechanist's people from further threat from the Fire Nation or had it merely been an excuse to do what he'd wanted to do the entire time? Katara wasn't sure and she suspected that neither was Zuko. She wondered if that was the reason he was so intent on denying his feelings. Maybe the emotions rolling around inside him were simply too big to contemplate. Maybe they scared him.

While she tried to puzzle out just what he was thinking at that precise moment, Zuko changed the subject altogether by asking, "What about them?" He hitched his chin in the direction of the milling crowd behind them. "Where are they going to go now?"

"I'm not sure they know yet," Katara replied, "They're just glad to be alive, though it's kind of sad too, considering all that happened." Not wanting to make him feel guiltier than he probably did already, however, she quickly added, "But it's like you said before, even though it's scary starting over, it's not impossible. They can do it." Katara smiled at him reassuringly. "Do you…maybe want to offer them some words of encouragement to them or something? That might help."

"There's nothing I can say really," Zuko said. "I wanted them out. That didn't change just because the Fire Nation came along. Anything I said to them at this point would sound insincere. Their home was destroyed and I'm not entirely sorry that it was. I can't pretend otherwise, Katara. Besides, because of me, they're alive right now. That should be enough."

He spoke like he didn't care at all, but Katara suspected he cared too much…about the people, about the temple and about the past that he'd literally watched go up in smoke only minutes before. However, she knew there was little to be gained in pushing him to admit it. When Zuko was ready to talk then he would talk.

"So…are you ready to go now?" she asked him.

Zuko jerked a curt nod. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's leave this place."

After some rather tense and emotional apologies from the Mechanist and his people, Sokka, Katara and Zuko said goodbye and mounted Appa once again, setting their course towards the North Pole. As Momo scampered up onto his shoulder and they took to the skies, Zuko made the deliberate decision _not_ to look back to where the Northern Air Temple had once stood; having the vague sense that boyhood memories hadn't been the only things he'd lost when it was destroyed.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

"I trust you are recovering well."

Wearily, Aang lifted his head and met his father's ruthless stare. He glared at the Firelord through the bars of his cell, jiggling the chains that shackled his arms from end to end and left him half suspended in the center of his tiny prison. "I can tell my recovery is a top priority for you, _Dad_."

His homecoming, if he could call it that, had been far from a happy one. After narrowly escaping the collapse at Roku's temple, and with Azula riding his back the entire time, Aang had managed to pull both himself _and_ her to safety after the place came down on their heads. Not that she'd been the least bit grateful to him for saving her life. If possible, it had caused her to hate him even more.

Once Aang was sure she was unharmed, he dismissed her to take up a frantic search for his friends. Slightly disoriented, he had stumbled from the debris field, in between trading half-hearted blows with Azula, just as Appa, hounded by fireballs and pursued by a small fleet, was disappearing over the clouds. Aang had been frustrated that he'd not made it out on time, too shocked to do anything other than stand there and stare after them groaning disappointment. He barely had a moment to let it settle in just how knee deep in trouble he was before he was being arrested for treason and dragged off to be presented to Ozai directly after.

Aang's first conversation with his father following the three year silence that had spanned between them had contained nothing in the way of inquiring about Aang's health, given his recent, near fatal accident, or regretting the past or even missing him. He could have been any ordinary traitor brought before the Firelord for all the emotion and care Ozai showed him. His father couldn't even be bothered to make a cursory remark on how tall his son had become. Not that Aang had expected a reaction even remotely close to that, but…it would have been nice. Yet, rather than acknowledging that he had any feelings for Aang whatsoever, the Firelord had, instead, spoken only four words to his wayward son: where is the Avatar?

The young Fire Nation prince had answered in the only way he could. "I don't know."

It hadn't been a total lie either. He truly didn't know. The last he had seen of the Avatar, the boy had been airborne and justifiably running for his life. Granted, Aang _did_ have full knowledge of where the Avatar was going, but his father certainly didn't need to be privy to that information.

Firelord Ozai, of course, had a different opinion on the matter. Consequently, he had immediately devoted his undivided attention towards "persuading" his son to share the information he had. Two weeks later, Aang still had not been "persuaded," but his back was battered and bruised with the best of his father's efforts. He _was_ getting tired and a bit depressed, however, and his will was beginning to diminish. Presently, he hung from chains in the dank cell in which his father had thrown him, resolutely steeling himself for another go around.

Ozai reached through the bars to grip Aang's chin, forcing his son's stubborn gaze to his own. "You're making this more difficult on yourself than it needs to be," he told Aang matter-of-factly. "It brings me absolutely no satisfaction to see you this way, but you've left me little choice in this."

Aang flinched away from his touch. "Somehow, I can't imagine your heart is breaking at the moment."

The Firelord's response to that was a frustrated snarl before he whipped away from the cage entirely in a flash of disgust. "Where did my son go? When did you become so willful and disrespectful?" he spat, "When did you forget who you were, Aang? If I had known your uncle would prove to be such a negative influence on you, I would have never permitted him to become your firebending master!"

"Don't blame Uncle for this!" Aang retorted tiredly. His reply halted Ozai's restless pacing. "I have my own mind. I make my own decisions."

"So you think," his father taunted.

"So I know!" Aang shouted back.

Aang was disconcerted to realize that the years he had been separated from his father had done little to dull the strong emotions he felt towards the man. He had often imagined that, when the fall of the Fire Nation came, he would face his father again, dispassionate and triumphant. He had imagined he would have no feelings for Ozai at all. The reality was something else entirely. He was overrun with feelings, so many conflicting emotions that he felt sick with them. Longing, regret, fear, distrust, anger…he felt them all. There was a part of him that wanted to reconcile with his father, that still naively hoped they would go back to the way things had been before the Agni Kai. And then there was the part of him that knew that would never happen and understood that his relationship with his father had irrevocably changed, just as the disfigurement had forever changed his face.

He hung his head forward with an exhausted sigh. "This is my decision," he told his father again, "This is what I want. I know that doesn't make you happy, but I'm doing what I think is right."

"No!" the Firelord snapped, "This is your uncle's doing! He corrupted you with his weakness and foolish ideals." Ozai scraped him a scornful glower. "You're no better than your mother!"

"I take that as a compliment," Aang whispered.

"A compliment?" Ozai snorted, "We're talking about a woman who abandoned you and _never_ looked back! Have you forgotten what it was like to wake up and find her gone? Have you forgotten who was beside you as you cried for her?"

"As I recall, you told me to dry my eyes because a man had no time for tears, especially over a weak-willed woman," Aang reminded him softly.

"And I was right," Ozai countered, "You still haven't learned that lesson."

"I don't plan to," Aang replied. "When Mom left it affected you too. The only difference between us is that I'm not afraid to show it."

"Enough!" Ozai roared, stalking the cage so that the only thing separating him and Aang were a few, scanty inches and the rusted, iron bars. "_I_ stayed. _I_ fought for you! _I_ encouraged you! Everything I have built is for _you_! And this is how you repay me…with shame and insolence?"

"You didn't build this for me," Aang scoffed, "You did it for yourself. You only stayed and encouraged when you believed there might be something in it for you, because you thought my dreams about the Avatar were prophetic. I'm sure you thought I'd always be too blind and naïve and gullible to ever see you for what you really were. But you were wrong…about the dreams _and_ about me."

"Tell me where he is," Ozai enunciated coldly. "Tell me now!"

"No," Aang refused. "Do whatever it is you feel you must, but I'm not telling you anything. I'll _never_ tell you anything."

Ozai roared his fury. "Guards!" Immediately, two uniformed officers materialized at his sides. He didn't take his eyes from Aang at all as he spat, "Apparently, my son is in need of another lesson! See that he learns it this time!"

When they finally left him, Aang couldn't even stand on his own. It was a small blessing that the chains kept him upright because his knees would not have supported him. He was sick to his stomach, shaking uncontrollably and in so much pain it made him long for the days of recovery following the Agni Kai. He seriously wanted to die in those few minutes…which was probably the reason Azula chose that _exact_ moment to visit him.

She slowly came around the corridor with mock applause. Aang groaned aloud when he caught sight of her, carefully wiping his face clean of as much emotion as he was able. If she knew he was miserable, she'd only gloat all the more. It was just like his little sister to make an already bad day even worse.

"Well, well, well…" she sang with a wide, satisfied smile, "look how far the mighty have fallen."

"Get out of here, Azula," Aang commanded gruffly.

"And miss you in your finest hour?" she scoffed, "Not a chance, big brother. Look at you." She flicked him with a brief once-over. "You're dirty, smelly, derided by your entire nation _and_, best of all, hated by our father. Do you know how long I've waited for this day? How does it feel to be a pariah?"

Aang somehow found the strength to look her directly in the eye when he answered, "Fantastic."

"Liar!" she hissed.

"I'm doing what I know is right," he insisted obstinately, "So it's worth it. Whatever I go through is worth it."

"You're a fool," Azula spat. "Who are you protecting anyway? Your so-called _friends_? The first opportunity they got, they left you here, Aang! Is it that kind of betrayal that inspires loyalty in you?"

"So, should I be loyal to you and Father instead?" Aang scoffed with a laugh, "Like that would be a step up."

"Go right ahead and mock me," his sister invited airily, "We'll see how amusing it is when this cell becomes your permanent home!"

"That won't happen."

"You don't think so?" she challenged, "Are you expecting Uncle to come rescue you? Aww, that's so sweet, but keep dreaming, brother. Dad has made sure that the security around you is exceptionally tight. He isn't taking a single chance of you getting away so you're going to be here for a good, long time."

"And how does that make _you_ feel?" Aang goaded, turning her earlier question to him back around on her, "Even _dirty_ and _smelly_ and _derided_, I still get the bulk of Father's attention. He may hate me, but at least he knows _I'm_ alive. What about you? Does he even look at you…I mean, besides just to bark orders?" Aang knew he had hit a nerve even long before she snarled at him and rushed his cell. He regarded her with a faint smile of triumph. "Keep striving after the wind, Azula," he invited, "He's never going to give you what you want."

Azula regarded him with narrow eyes before giving her head a haughty toss and regaining her composure completely. "We'll see…" she responded vaguely, "I'm sure Dad's appreciation for me will grow exponentially once I capture the Avatar for him."

Aang laughed. "Not on your life."

"No, definitely not on mine," Azula agreed with a hateful smile, "On _yours._ Because when I bring the Avatar back here, Father will have no use for you any longer!" She buffed her nails casually against the crisp lapel of her uniform. "I'm actually looking forward to being an only child."

"You've been an only child this entire time," Aang pointed out to her wryly, "If you've had no satisfaction these past three years, what exactly do you think is going to come about with my death?"

Yet again, his barb hit its mark directly. "I hate you," Azula sneered.

For some reason, the avowal hurt. Despite the many insults they'd traded between them and the many times they'd been locked in near fatal combat, Aang had never _hated_ Azula. Long ago, she had inspired protectiveness and affection in him and, as they'd grown older, that affection had slowly become resentment as she took every opportunity she could to frustrate and anger him. He didn't trust her. He didn't even _like_ her. But nothing he'd felt for her could ever be likened to hatred because, at the core of it all, she was still his sister. His blood. He couldn't negate that no matter how hard he tried. Aang was disappointed, although not shocked, to discover Azula didn't feel the same.

"I know you hate me," he sighed tiredly, "What I don't understand is why…"

"You can't understand? Because you had it _all_," Azula spat, "His praise. His approval. His _love_…and you just walked away from the very things I've been practically _begging_ for my entire life! You turned your back just like _she_ turned her back!"

"Like you even cared!" Aang retorted. "When I was home all we ever did was fight and compete and…oh yeah, and fight!" he added with dripping sarcasm. "We were barely ever siblings, Azula, and definitely _not_ friends! The whole time all you wanted was Father's attention. Well, I left and it was all yours, so why are you complaining now?"

"Don't pretend not to know that Dad has been obsessed with you this whole time," she grated out, "and don't pretend not to like it! You're not as noble as you pretend to be, Aang."

"Maybe I'm not. But, I'm not like you," Aang responded flatly. "I don't want anything from him and I'm free because I don't."

"Are you saying I'm not free?" She trilled an amused laugh. "Who's in the cage beaten black and blue? And you have the nerve to talk to _me_ about freedom?"

"I might be _physically_ chained here, but mentally and emotionally I can go wherever I want," Aang whispered, refusing to concede her point even when the irony of the situation was not lost on him. "That's a freedom you'll never know, Azula…the freedom to be your own person and make your own stand. You like to pretend you're so powerful and in control, but really…you're only our father's puppet."

Abruptly, her features wiped clean of expression. "I will be my own person," she swore. "Everything will change once I have the Avatar."

"You will never find him."

"You don't think so?" she gloated. "I've spoken to the Fire Sages." Those five, simple words caused Aang's heart to turn cold. He didn't say a word, but his breath quickened. "They seem to think that the Avatar hasn't yet mastered all the elements. What do you think, Aangie? Has he?"

Quite predictably, her question was followed by more silence. He stared at her with unreadable eyes, but she knew him well enough to discern that his lack of response was merely a cover. "That's what I thought," Azula considered smugly, "He's just a baby Avatar. So then, it stands to reason that he will be looking for teachers. That's why a message with orders for Admiral Zhao to set immediate sail for the North Pole is en route to him as we speak. Dad expects him to crush the Northern Water Tribe once and for all. In addition to that, Father's given me orders to travel to the Earth Kingdom. I plan to take it apart piece by piece. We're going to destroy any and all opportunities the Avatar has to learn the other bending elements and, without them, he's pretty useless."

"He's already traveling with a master Waterbender," Aang bluffed, "and I was with him for a month, so you've dropped the ball on that."

Azula shrugged. "Oh well, can't win them all. Eventually, he'll have to learn earth and, when that time comes, I'll be waiting." She smiled at him. "Enjoy your stay down here, Aangie," she laughed. "Who knows? It might not be as long as either of us anticipated."

Only when she was gone did Aang drop his mask of bravado. He sagged against his chains, the world going black as exhaustion and pain finally claimed him. His next awareness was the sensation of cold water being flicked in his face. He flinched away from the icy pricks, gradually coming awake with a befuddled frown. When he opened his eyes he was greeted by a third visitor, unexpected, but indisputably welcome. He smiled at her.

"Wow, you're taller than me…finally," she remarked dryly, "and you need a haircut."

"Mai…" he breathed gladly.

She pushed her hood back from her head, revealing the correctness of his guess. "Actually, you look pretty awful," Mai continued almost casually, "and you smell worse."

Aang grinned at her. "I've missed you too."

Though he might have looked and smelled "awful," Mai was the epitome of sophistication and fragrant splendor as she stood before him. Her manner of dress was simple, yet somehow still elegant. She looked fantastic! But then, she always did look fantastic. Even draped in a shapeless, black cloak trimmed with red that shamefully swallowed her lithe form and concealed most of her stunning face, Aang would have known her anywhere just by the graceful manner in which she carried herself. After all, she _had_ been his best friend since he was old enough to toddle. It was rather ironic but, in many ways, Mai had been more of a sister to him than Azula had ever been.

As children, whenever her parents had come to pay homage to his father at the Palace, Aang and Mai would be inseparable. His mother, when she had been there, had encouraged and even aided their friendship, providing ample opportunity for the bond between them to grow and strengthen. There had even been talk of a possible alliance between their two families. And so had begun Mai's grooming for a future position as the Firelord's wife.

However, after his mother left, the possibility of marriage was quickly shelved and forgotten because his father had insisted that Aang focus on his firebending every waking moment of the day. On the rare occasions when he could break away from his studies, Aang had spent his time with Mai. In the subsequent years following his mother's abandonment and the growing political aspirations of Mai's father, they had proved to be an emotional haven for each other.

Although, they were distinct opposites in personality, that stark contrast between Mai and Aang seemed to facilitate their friendship rather than diminish it. After Aang had run away from home, Mai had been the only person he'd kept in contact with and, even then, the interaction between them had been careful and minimal. Both had been highly aware of the fact that every bit of correspondence traded between them was an act of treason. The last letter he'd received from her had been six months prior, only a few weeks before she and her family were scheduled to relocate somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.

They regarded each other for a silent moment, smiling and drinking one another in, noting the marked changes that three years past had brought. Her features were more angular, defined, and almost exotic. Gone were her cherubic cheeks and large eyes. When he had left the Fire Nation she had been a girl of twelve. He's returned to find her a woman of nearly sixteen. It was a bit disconcerting, especially when he considered how his own features left much to be desired. Growing self-conscious, Aang had to fight the impulse to cut his eyes away from her because he was wholly aware of what she was staring at as she looked at him.

Finally, he swallowed, growing nervous with her lack of comment. "Are…are you not going to say anything about it?" he asked.

Mai shrugged. "It healed well."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" He'd expected her to flinch or instinctively shrink away, as most people did, but she only regarded him in her usual dispassionate way, as if he had nothing more than a superficial blemish.

"You're still you," she told him. "That's what I see when I look at you. I see Aang."

He expelled a deep breath, one he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "It's so good to see you again, Mai," he whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she hissed, "You told me you were being careful in your letters. Is this your idea of careful?"

"I wasn't expecting to get caught," Aang replied wryly.

A noise beyond his cell startled them both and caused Mai to automatically flip up her hood to conceal her face. The change was disappointing for Aang because he wasn't quite finished taking note of the differences in her. However, once the guard had passed on, they both relaxed again though Mai did not remove her hood a second time.

She stood back to survey him, only the line of her mouth visible beneath the shadow her head covering cast. But even within those shadows, her emotions at seeing him so mistreated were plainly visible. "Why are you putting yourself through this?" she asked, half in pity and half in frustration.

"It's the right thing to do."

"Aang, just give your father what he wants," Mai reasoned. "He'll leave you alone after that. Believe me, I know. I do it all the time." She surveyed his accommodations with unconcealed disgust. "Nothing is worth this."

"Yes, there is," Aang countered softly, "There are bigger things at stake here than just you and me, Mai. If I didn't do everything I could to see this war end, I'd never be able to live with myself."

"So you've been telling me," Mai snorted in an under-breath. "This entire time you've been going on and on about how finding the Avatar would change everything. Well, from what I've heard, you've found him, Aang…and now look where you are! Where did it get you? It all seems so pointless!"

"No, it's not. I swear to you, it's not."

"I don't like seeing you this way," she confessed gruffly. "Being in this place is going to eventually break you. As nauseatingly optimistic as you are, even you're not immune to the unbearable bleakness that comes with being chained in a cage. I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want you to lose what makes you…you."

"It's a temporary setback and nothing more," he dismissed, "Don't worry about me, Mai. I'll get myself out of this. In the meantime, you've come down here and you've seen me. You know I'm fine, now you can go."

Mai darted a furtive look down the dark corridor of the prison hold just to make sure her presence hadn't yet been discovered. "No. Not yet," she told him, "There's something I need to tell you first."

"Forget about it! Mai, if you're caught then it's over!" he hissed. "Do you want to share a cell?"

"You need to know this," Mai insisted.

"What?"

"Azula's going after the Avatar."

Aang sighed. "I know that already," he said, "She was only too eager to come down here and throw it in my face."

"Did she also tell you that she's chosen a team to go with her?" Mai asked him. Aang slowly lifted his eyes at the query. "I'm a part of that team," she revealed direly, "Me and Ty Lee."

"Ty Lee?" Aang echoed, frowning at the mention of their childhood friend, "I thought you told me she joined the circus."

"She said she had a higher calling…anyway it doesn't matter," Mai plowed on impatiently, "The point is, we're going with Azula to capture the Avatar and bring him back here. I needed to tell you myself. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea if you heard it from someone else."

"Why are you doing this?" Aang whispered.

"Could I have really said no?" Mai challenged, "We're talking about the Fire Nation princess here, remember? When Azula makes a request, you don't refuse. Besides, my father is hoping to be appointed as Governor of Omashu once it falls. I would have never heard the end of it if I refused."

"What? My father has his sights on Omashu?" Aang asked, dread mounting.

"Yeah," she confirmed, scowling when that news seemed to distress him more than being jailed and beaten. "Why does it matter?"

"Forget about that for a minute," Aang evaded, distracted, "Why would Azula choose you to accompany her at all? You don't like her and she knows that."

"A lot has changed," Mai answered vaguely.

The way she said the words caused a chill of dread to shiver down Aang's spine. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that when you left, my father was in a really big hurry to prove to _your_ father that you and I didn't share the same ideals," Mai intoned flatly, "He practically pushed me on Azula in an effort to prove himself to the Firelord. I did what I had to do."

"You never said anything to me," Aang replied gruffly.

"I didn't know what to say," she responded with equal gruffness. She dropped her eyes to the soiled, prison floor. "You hate me now?"

"You know I don't," he told her.

He stared at her bent head, wishing he could reach through the bars and reassure her. But he knew, even if he could, she'd likely deny she was concerned about losing his friendship at all. Aang, however, knew better. Mai had never known emotional support and acceptance from anyone besides him. Her parents had always expected her to fit into the mold they had fashioned for her and had never been interested in getting to know the person Mai truly was. In contrast, Aang _did_ know that person and he loved her. There was nothing she could do that would ever cause him to turn from Mai completely because he knew what motivated her. He knew her heart and he knew that if she'd "sided" with Azula, she had good reason for doing so.

After expelling a deep sigh, Aang whispered her name. When she glanced up at him, he said, "You can't let Azula capture the Avatar. I need you to promise you won't."

"What?" she hissed in disbelief. "Are you seriously asking me to commit treason?"

"You've been doing it with me this whole time," Aang pointed out.

"Because we're friends and I love you, you idiot!" she snapped. "I don't want anything to happen to you! But what allegiance do I owe to the Avatar? This quest you've been on for the last three years, that's _your_ thing, Aang! Leave me out of it."

"What do you think is going to happen to me when you bring the Avatar back here?" he asked her. "How long do you think my father will let me live?"

"Stop it."

"No, don't look away! It's true and you know it is."

She pinned him with an angry glare. "It's not fair of you to ask me!"

"I know it's not fair," Aang acknowledged thickly, "and I'm still asking you. There's no one else." He regarded her with an imploring stare. "Mai, please. You don't understand what's at stake."

Before she could answer, however, a commotion sounded beyond his cell, signaling the start of the guards' prison rounds. "I have to go now," Mai whispered, avoiding giving an answer to Aang's request altogether, "Try not to get yourself killed while I'm gone."

Despondent, Aang watched her disappear into the darkness just as silently as she had come.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

"There it is," Zuko breathed reverently, "The Northern Water Tribe."

The city was like a jewel set upon clear, icy seas, shimmering like gold in the mellow rays of dusk. Its resplendent beauty was a perfect representation of all they had worked to achieve, the embodiment of the epic goal they had reached and yet… Zuko could feel only marginally excited at having finally arrived there. The relief and triumph he felt over reaching his long sought after goal was tempered with sorrow and confusion.

He told himself that whatever he had suffered had been worthwhile. Whatever pain he'd endured; whatever choices he had made…the end result had justified all. At long last, he would learn waterbending. He would take the first necessary step towards completing his destiny. He was on the road to becoming the Avatar that he had been born to be. But, in spite of all those good things, Zuko could not ignore the niggling voice in his head that said that the price he'd paid to get there had been much too high.

As Appa swam closely behind their escort through the winding canals of the Northern Water Tribe, towards the towering capital building in the very center of the city, Zuko couldn't quite manage to coax a smile onto his face. Even with the hundreds of curious residents hanging over bridges and crowding the frozen promenades for a glimpse of him, Zuko could do little more than nod his acknowledgment and wave halfheartedly. There was an empty space inside of him and Zuko feared that not even learning to waterbend would fill it. He was beginning to wonder if anything would.

Several minutes later, they reached the capital building. Once they had, they found three men waiting for them on sleek steps made of frozen snow. "I am Chief Arnook," the foremost man introduced himself. "We have been expecting you, Avatar Zuko."

Mildly curious over the greeting, Sokka, Katara and Zuko followed Chief Arnook and his companions up the steps of the capital building. They were led into a circular arena where a group of seven Northern Water Tribe men in ceremonial headdresses sat on a high platform on the opposite side of the entrance. "This is our Tribunal Council," Chief Arnook explained, "On behalf of the Northern Water Tribe we would like to welcome you to our home, Avatar Zuko." The Council nodded their enthusiastic agreement to his statement. "Should you have need of anything while you're here, any of the men present will be more than happy to assist you," Arnook told Zuko.

"I thank you for extending your hospitality to us, Chief Arnook," Zuko replied politely. "My friends and I shouldn't be too much trouble. We are here looking for a waterbending instructor."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Arnook said, smiling. "As I mentioned before, we have been expecting you."

"But…how did you know we were coming at all?" Katara asked with a confused frown.

"Master Pakku," Arnook replied, "He has been preparing for you arrival for many days."

Zuko was about to explain to him that he had no idea who "Master Pakku" was or why he had been preparing for their arrival when a beautiful teenage girl with white hair and a soft-spoken presence politely interrupted them. Zuko only vaguely noted how stunning she was, while Sokka was clearly enthralled the moment he laid eyes on her.

Barely making eye contact with Zuko and his friends, she tugged on the thick sleeve of Chief Arnook's tunic. "He's ready for them now," she informed the chief softly.

Arnook nodded his acknowledgment and smiled at her fondly before turning to address his guests once more. "Avatar Zuko, this is my daughter Princess Yue," he said, gently bringing the white-haired girl forward, "Yue, these are our honored guests…Avatar Zuko and his friends…"

"Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko provided smoothly in answer to Arnook hanging question.

Yue offered a timid smile and first bowed formally to Katara. "It is good to meet you, Katara. I've always been curious about our brothers and sisters from the Southern Tribe." She then turned to Sokka, prepared to give him a similar introduction, but momentarily froze, instantly captivated by what she saw. Sokka returned her stare with equal intensity. Only when Chief Arnook coughed discreetly, did they realize what they were doing and blush deeply.

Self-conscious and nervous, Yue, at last, remembered herself and offered him a respectful bow. "It is good to meet you as well, Sokka," she murmured. Though it took some effort, she managed to look away from him. Sokka, however, did not look away.

Katara poked him. "This place is great, isn't it?" she whispered to him in an excited under-breath as Zuko and Chief Arnook carried on a quiet conversation. "It's nothing like I imagined it would be."

"Yeah…" Sokka sighed dreamily, still staring at Yue, "me either."

"Come," Chief Arnook said, "Pakku is expecting you. We don't want to keep him waiting."

They were taken to Master Pakku's home, which was, like everything in the Northern Water Tribe, carved from ice and snow. For a man so seemingly revered among his fellow citizens, his accommodations were hardly ostentatious. In fact, they were quite simple and modest. Zuko supposed that was a direct reflection on the measure of man Pakku was. That was the reason why, when Zuko finally met Master Pakku face to face, he wasn't at all surprised by the man's appearance. Somehow, the waterbending master was exactly as the Avatar had imagined him.

Master Pakku was a tall, lean man, with long white hair and a trim beard and moustache. Though handsome, his presence seemed stern, even a touch harsh. Zuko was pleased with his first impression. Master Pakku was just the type of instructor Zuko would thrive under, someone as seriously focused and determined as himself. Chief Arnook made the introductions, beginning first with Zuko and then progressing on to Sokka and Katara.

"I have heard many things about you, Avatar Zuko," Pakku murmured, "Some good…and some unbelievable."

"And I've heard _nothing_ about you," Zuko countered rather bluntly. "Should I know you?"

"Those answers will come in time," Pakku promised him. "In the meantime, I understand you need to learn waterbending. We shall start early tomorrow morning then."

"Can't we start tonight?" Zuko asked rather impatiently, "We still have a little bit of the sun left and I'm ready."

Pakku smiled his approval. "I like your enthusiasm, young Avatar," he commended, "But I'm afraid the lessons cannot begin this evening. You have prior arrangements."

"We have a feast scheduled in honor of your arrival," Chief Arnook clarified for an edgy Zuko. "It has a two-fold purpose: to welcome you here officially and also to put our citizens' minds to rest. Some fear your presence here means that we are, once again, in the Fire Nation's sights. I want to assure them that there is nothing to fear."

"But there's plenty to fear," Sokka interjected frankly, "Just because the Fire Nation isn't paying attention now, that doesn't mean it will always be that way. I'd hate to see what happened in the South Pole happen here."

Chief Arnook clapped a reassuring hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Fear not, my young warrior," he said, "We drove them away from our shores once and, if it comes down to it, we'll do so again."

"Will that be all then, Chief Arnook?" Pakku inquired, "I would like some time with my student now."

"Of course, Master Pakku. Good evening to you, Avatar. Sokka. Katara." With respectful nods, Arnook and his daughter took their leave. Once they had gone, Pakku gestured for his guests to take seats on the blue pallets situated on the floor of his living space. He then bent up a perch of ice and seated himself as well.

"You will stay here tonight," Master Pakku said, "I insist."

"Thank you," Zuko replied. "You are very gracious, Master Pakku." Katara dug a sharp, but furtive nudge into Zuko's side, a not so subtle reminder to mention _her_ waterbending lessons as well. "Master Pakku…about the waterbending lessons…" he began.

"I thought you were eager to begin," Pakku interrupted sharply. "You're not changing your mind, are you? If it's one thing I will not tolerate, my young friend, it is laziness and a lack of focus! We begin early or we do not begin. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Zuko replied, "I don't have a problem with the time, but…my friend would like to join us tomorrow."

Pakku flicked a disinterested glance at Sokka, assuming _he_ was the friend Zuko meant. "Very well." Immediately afterwards, his demeanor abruptly shifted, becoming, if possible, even more serious than before. "Now, I suppose you'd like to know how I came to anticipate your arrival here," he said.

"That would be nice," Zuko said.

"We have a mutual friend, you and I," Pakku replied vaguely.

"And who is that?" Sokka wanted to know.

"Me." The three teens hastily swiveled around at the voice that sounded behind them. "Hello, children," General Iroh greeted fondly, "It's good to see you again."

****

Zhao stared down at the message in his hands and breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in weeks. Aware of the curious crewmen gathered around him, however, he carefully schooled his features against any readable emotion. His men were already aware of his precarious position with the Firelord. Zhao did not want to provide more fodder for the gossip mill. Yet, in spite of his impassive countenance, Zhao's relief was palpable.

He had been given another chance.

Admiral Zhao was painfully aware that his entire career, his reputation and his life depended on the success of his next mission. After he'd received the Firelord's orders to set sail for the North Pole, Zhao hadn't known whether he should be overcome with relief or saturated with fear. On one hand, having received the assignment at all was indication that the Firelord was instilling a remarkable amount of trust in him. On the other hand, Zhao knew he had little room for error. One slip up, on misstep, one failure and it was over.

"Helmsman, set a course for the North Pole," Zhao ordered.

A number of telling looks were traded among the crewmembers, but the message was clear. Admiral Zhao was, once again, in the Firelord's favor. As Zhao put in additional orders to have additional fleets gathered to rendezvous with them in the North, he could feel his confidence growing. His repeated requests to Firelord Ozai to be awarded the responsibility of overthrowing the Northern Water Tribe had finally been answered. Everything, at last, was working out exactly as he had planned it…and his Firelord did not even suspect.

Later that evening in the privacy of his stateroom, Zhao reclined back on his bed and meticulously planned out his next move. This time he had left no detail up to chance and interference from anyone would not be tolerated. For years now he had been carefully constructing the means to overthrow the Northern Water Tribe once and for all. He had found the information he sought in an ancient library guarded by a keen owl spirit. Zhao had learned an eternal secret, a secret unknown to any man on earth, a secret so precious that he had burned all remnants of it shortly after his discovery. He had learned how to destroy the moon. Not even his Firelord had an inkling of the power Zhao held at his fingertips.

If he plan was successful, then no one would be able to stop the Fire Nation. No one would be able to stop _him_. He'd no longer need to curry the Firelord's mercurial favor. Perhaps, he'd even attempt to seize power for himself. _Firelord Zhao_ did have an enticing ring to it.

After all, if a man could succeed in killing a spirit, what at all could be denied to him?

****

Iroh scanned the children and found one face conspicuously absent. He frowned. "Where's Aang? Has he wandered off again?"

For weeks the teens had not allowed themselves to think about this moment and, now that it had finally arrived, they were at a loss as to how to begin. The excited look on Iroh's face at the prospect of seeing his nephew again only made the news more difficult to deliver. Consequently, no one wanted to begin. Eye contact with General Iroh was minimal. Recognizing that they were only prolonging the inevitable, however, Katara gulped down a revitalizing breath and took the responsibility upon herself.

"General Iroh…" she began with somber reluctance, rising to her feet as she spoke as if standing would somehow help to soften the emotional blow, "…there's something we need to tell you."

Her tone of voice alarmed him almost as much as the anguished expression on her face. Not to mention, he wasn't blind to the way she scrupulously avoided his gaze. As a once highly esteemed Fire Nation general with years of experience, Iroh had learned to discern when bad news was imminent. He had seen more than his fair share of tragedy. His own son, his _only_ son had died in his arms on the battlefield. If he had survived that horrific reality, Iroh was certain he could endure whatever it was that Katara had to tell him.

With that determination fixed firmly in his mind, he asked, "What's happened?"

"There was an accident…" Sokka murmured.

Sensing that their conversation was about to stray into sensitive waters, Master Pakku discreetly excused himself, leaving General Iroh and the teenagers to speak in private. He had no sooner left the room than Iroh demanded fervidly, "What kind of accident? Where is my nephew?"

"I had a dream," Zuko rushed to explain, "I was supposed to meet Roku on a crescent shaped island in the Fire Nation during the winter solstice."

"I know the island," Iroh said, nodding his encouragement for Zuko to go on.

"Aang volunteered to take me to Roku's temple," Zuko continued. "I didn't think it was a big deal…just a bad dream, but he insisted that it had to mean something and so we went. When we got there, however, we encountered some problems."

"The Fire Sages," Iroh concluded knowingly.

"Not exactly," Katara hedged.

When Iroh appeared bewildered by that answer, Sokka clarified, "Aang's sister showed up and then things got really dicey. She…well, she's a little…"

"…Crazy?" Iroh finished for him.

"Yeah, I think that's the word I'd use," Sokka agreed, "She was nuts!"

"I was inside the sanctuary when all this was happening," Zuko resumed, "I didn't know the problems they were having outside until Roku told me. I don't remember much of what happened after that, but the gist of it is, the temple was destroyed and, while we were trying to make it out of there, Aang…_didn't_."

Iroh stared at him blankly for a long moment as if he had not comprehended a single word Zuko had just told him. Finally, he said very slowly, "My nephew did not come out with you?"

"It was insanity," Katara recounted. "Zuko was unconscious. The ceiling was coming down and it seemed like Azula was doing everything in her power to speed it along. Aang…" She faltered a bit, her recollection of that final moment with Aang making it difficult for her to retell what had transpired. Her emotions were still quite jumbled, not only because of what happened, but because of Aang as well. Katara couldn't purge that impulsive kiss he'd given her from her mind and especially because she'd never get the opportunity to ask him what it had meant.

Katara closed her eyes, taking a brief moment to compose herself before she continued. "Aang and I got separated from Sokka on our way out of the temple and Azula was on our heels," she told Iroh. "Everything was splitting apart or catching on fire and she wasn't helping matters. Aang said that if he didn't go to her, she'd kill us all in an effort to get to him. He told me that when we finished with Zuko's waterbending training that we should go to Omashu and he said that you would take care of the rest." She swallowed and dropped her eyes to her lap, concealing the tears that gathered there. "That was the last time I saw him."

Iroh nodded attentively; though it was evident he was having a difficult time digesting what he'd been told. "How…how can you be sure?" he asked in a garbled tone.

"The entire temple collapsed, General Iroh," Sokka said, "We saw it with our own eyes. There was nothing left except smoldering rubble." He shook his head in sorrowful regret. "Aang didn't make it."

By that time he, Katara and Zuko were weeping, though they all made a remarkable effort to conceal their grief. General Iroh, however, did not shed a single tear. He was pale and stricken, but oddly composed as well. "No," he uttered after a pregnant pause, "I will not believe it. My nephew is not dead."

"We all wish that were true," Sokka murmured sadly.

Unbelievably, Iroh smiled at him. "You have only known Aang for a short while," he said, "But I have known him all of his life. My nephew is a very resourceful young man and, if there's a way, he _always_ finds it." He looked towards Zuko, growing more unbendable with each passing moment. "Aang believed his destiny was to stand with you and help you defeat his father," he told Zuko fervently, "He would not go anywhere until he'd accomplished that goal, I assure you." Zuko glanced away, wanting to believe Iroh's words, but unable.

He was isolated in his feelings. Sokka was inclined to agree with him. Katara, on the other hand, was frantic to grab onto any scrap of hope that she could. "What will you do now?" she asked Iroh.

"I still have a few connections in the Fire Nation," Iroh told them, "I will find out what has happened to Aang."

"When you do, will you let us know?" Katara pressed a little desperately, "If there's a chance he could be okay…" She paused, swallowing down the fresh ball of acrid tears that rose in her throat. "We just want to know he's okay," she settled on. "Please let us know."

"I will," Iroh promised. "My nephew had great affection for you all. He always spoke very highly of you in his letters. It meant a great deal to him that you had accepted him as your friend."

Simultaneously moved and devastated by the admission, Zuko asked thickly, "So what happens now?"

"You learn water under Pakku just as you planned," Iroh advised him. "Don't worry about Aang. I will find my nephew."

"Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime?" Sokka wondered.

"When you reach Omashu, give Bumi a message for me," Iroh entreated, "Tell him that 'the time is close at hand.' He will know what it means."

"Will we see you again, General Iroh?" Katara queried.

"Of course," Iroh answered with an affectionate smile, "The Avatar must learn firebending, after all."

After he had slipped off into the night, they all regarded one another in pensive silence. Katara was the first one to speak. "You think he's gone off on a fool's errand, don't you?" she asked her brother.

"Katara, you saw when the temple collapsed," Sokka reminded her. "It's nice to hope, but…I think we all need to face the reality that Aang isn't coming back."

"General Iroh isn't ready to face that reality," Zuko interjected. "He needs some time to let it settle in. As for us, we still have a mission to complete. I don't want Aang's death to be in vain. We have until the summer before the comet arrives. That's not much time. Our focus needs to be on my training from now on. Nothing else matters." He bounced an intense look between his friends. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Sokka and Katara complied without hesitation.

The next morning Zuko and Katara rose early, even before the sun had come fully over the horizon, to meet Master Pakku in the training arena. He had left even earlier, likely in preparation of Zuko's later arrival. When Zuko and Katara entered the spacious training area, they found Master Pakku waiting for them. However, as they closed the distance between them and the waterbending master, a slow scowl began to crease the latter's brows.

"We're ready to get started," Zuko informed him.

"I'm sorry," Pakku murmured, "I believe there's been a misunderstanding." He inclined his head towards Katara. "Is this the friend you were referring to the other day?"

"Yes," Zuko confirmed. "Katara wants to train as well."

"I'm afraid that is unacceptable," Pakku said.

"Excuse me?" Katara said, already prickling at his superior tone.

"It is strictly forbidden here in the Northern Water Tribe for women to learn waterbending." Master Pakku regarded Katara with a disdainful look. "I will not teach her."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. Sims 3 came out this week. I'm sure all the simmers out there understand.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, Katara removed her mitten and wiggled her index finger in her ear as if the canal were clogged because she was certain she hadn't heard Master Pakku correctly. She blinked at him. "I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

"I do not teach women," Pakku enunciated without a bit of shame.

This time Katara charged him, fists balled with fury as she came to stand within inches of his face. "WHAT?" she exploded, "I did not travel across the entire world just so you could tell me no!"

Clearly feeling challenged by her hostile declaration, Pakku regarded her with raised brows. "No," he replied calmly. The snow surrounding them practically melted from the steam that poured out of Katara's ears. "However," Pakku went on with a most unaffected air, "if you're interested in doing something useful with yourself, Yugoda will be happy to teach you how to use your waterbending to heal. One of the men from the Council would be happy to direct you there."

"I don't want to heal!" Katara snapped, "I want to fight!"

Pakku smirked with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "I can see that, but I'm afraid I cannot help you," he responded mildly.

He didn't mean to goad her, but she made it such an entertaining task. There was something oddly familiar about her disrespectful defiance, something that was almost endearing. Pakku felt strangely protective of her, even as he yearned to teach her an unforgettable lesson, and he didn't know why. It was almost as if he'd met her before, although he knew that was impossible since he had never visited the Southern Water Tribe before and he already knew that she had never been there. Yet, there was something about this difficult, sassy girl from the Southern Water Tribe that pulled at him. Perhaps because she reminded him of another difficult, sassy girl he'd once known, in another lifetime…

He was uncharacteristically sympathetic to her plight because of that. However, her temperament and gross lack of deference made baiting her a singular treat for Pakku. Even if he was receptive to teaching her, which he was not, she'd need to learn a great deal in the way of humility before that ever happened.

Regarding Katara with a detached stare, Pakku lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I don't know what to tell you. Our tribe does have customs, after all."

"Well, your customs stink!" Katara spit back irately. "Listen here, you sour old goat, I—,"

"Um…Katara," Zuko grated behind what he meant to pass for a smile. He caught hold of her hood and pulled her aside before she could finish her tirade, "Can I have a word?" He waited until they were well out of Pakku's earshot to explode. "What are you doing? Have you lost it?"

"What are you talking about?" Katara cried with equal vehemence, "Did you hear what he just said? He's not going to teach me because I'm a girl!"

"And?" Zuko demanded without an ounce of sympathy.

Katara recoiled as if he'd slapped her in the face. That's exactly what his retort felt like. "It's wrong and unfair," she intoned, temper mounting.

"Yeah, it is," Zuko agreed shortly, surprising her by conceding her point at all. However, her speechless reaction over his unanticipated response was quickly propelled into teeth-grinding rage when he added, "_But_ he's the only waterbending instructor I have at the moment. And, like you, I didn't come all this way just so _you_ could blow it all in two seconds with your big, fat mouth!"

"_My big, fat mouth?_" Katara gasped, insulted. She sputtered at his phrasing. "I…I can't believe you just said that to me," she huffed.

"Listen," Zuko clipped, making a monumental effort to keep his temper in check, "I know you're angry and frustrated and you should be. The situation is unfair. Master Pakku is a sexist jerk! I get it. But right now, that sexist jerk is all I have. Don't ruin this for me, Katara!"

Katara stumbled back a few steps, emotionally eviscerated by his response. "So…so you're just going to take his side?" she whispered in disbelief.

Zuko refused to be cowed by her guilt-trip. He met her affronted stare squarely and without apology. "We agreed yesterday that the focus needs to be on my training," he reminded her. "Are you really going to jeopardize that just because your feelings are hurt?"

The mild rebuke in his tone had her snapping to attention. As much as it galled her, she knew he was right. She knew she was being selfish and thoughtless right then. She knew she was breaking the promise she'd just made to him the night before. Katara knew all that and yet she still felt incredibly betrayed that Zuko hadn't sided with her. Instead of demanding that Pakku take her as a student, he seemed content to hang her out to dry. However, Katara realized that there were bigger things at stake than her bruised ego and so, for the sake of the world…she swallowed her pride.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked Zuko stiffly.

"Go over there and apologize to him," Zuko ordered.

Katara folded her arms, her pose obstinately defiant. "Not on your life."

"Katara, you just called him a 'sour, old goat!'" Zuko hissed, "Go fix it!"

"Never!" she hissed back. "I meant every word. He _is_ a sour old goat and I'm not apologizing!"

Zuko glowered at her. "Fine!" he snapped, "I'll apologize for you!"

"Hah!" Katara crowed, "Good luck with that! You won't even apologize for yourself, Zuko!"

She had a point, which only served in making him angrier. He pierced her with narrowed eyes. "Okay, don't apologize," he relented with deceptive calm, "but don't you dare say another word to him either!"

"I'll do even better than that," Katara twittered with phony sweetness. She sauntered back over to where Master Pakku stood. He appeared incredibly bored as he felt his time was being wasted. "I won't distract you any longer with my silly, girly hysterics, _Master_ Pakku," Katara informed him with a mocking bow, "If you could be so good as to point me in the direction where all the helpless, little wimmens belong, I'll be on my way…"

Long after she'd stomped away, Zuko stared after her, torn between calling her back and letting her cool off. "Is everything under control now with your friend?" Pakku inquired coolly, commanding Zuko's attention with the question.

"Uh…yeah," his pupil finally replied, "I don't think she'll be a problem."

"Good. Let's begin."

****

From his position on the market promenade, Sokka squinted up towards the training arena and was almost certain he spied his sister marching _away_ from it. Curious over what could have possibly gone wrong in the space of an hour, Sokka started to turn towards a nearby bridge to take him in that direction when he caught sight of Princess Yue sailing by on her royal skiff. Katara's possible issues were immediately forgotten. Before Sokka could stop himself, he was calling out Yue's name. She smiled up at him.

"Hey there! Remember me?" he asked inanely, walking along the ice-walk to keep up with her skiff, "From last night? It's Sokka…from the Southern Water Tribe…"

"Of course, I remember you, Sokka," Yue laughed, "We talked practically the entire banquet."

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, both elated and flustered by her reply. "Right."

"I…um…enjoyed that, by the way," Yue revealed awkwardly. "You were very funny…and sweet."

"Um…thanks. I enjoyed it too," Sokka replied.

He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked sitting there, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks kissed with pink from the bitter cold. He would have gladly stood on the walk and stared at her all morning, which was essentially what he was doing anyway. Impatient pedestrians elbowed their way past him and Sokka didn't even notice. It was only when he realized she was sailing on without him and he had to run to keep up that Sokka became aware of what he'd been doing.

In order keep himself from looking like a complete idiot, he blurted suddenly, "I just wanted to tell you congratulations!"

"On?" Yue prodded when no further elaboration was forthcoming.

"Your birthday! Sixteen is a big year," and then he added, rather flustered, "Er…so I hear anyway."

Yue's smile widened and was punctuated by an amused giggle. She was endeared by his ineptitude when it came to flirting, rather than repelled. It made her like him even more. "My birthday isn't for another week, Sokka," she reminded him, "But thank you anyway."

"Well…um…congratulations in advance then," he amended lamely, finding himself staring at her all over again. Yue stared back. They both blushed. A small traffic jam was caused on the ice-walk and in the waterway as they both slowed to drink one another in, but neither of them seemed to notice. As far as Sokka and Yue were concerned, it was just the two of them. Nothing else existed. "So…um…" Sokka hedged.

"Yes?" Yue queried eagerly.

"So did you…uh…think about my offer?" Sokka asked hesitantly.

She squinted at him in confusion. "Your offer?"

Sokka swallowed down the automatic impulse to brazen his way out of it. "Yeah, you remember at the banquet table last night," he reminded her, "We were talking about you being a princess and how I was kinda, sorta a prince, in a manner of speaking, and then my sister was all, 'prince of what?' and I was all, 'mind your own business, woman!' and then I said that maybe you and I could do an activity together and then my sister rudely interrupted and—,"

"Yes!" Yue burst out laughingly, cutting him off mid-ramble.

Sokka was momentarily dumbfounded. "Yes?"

"Yes," Yue chuckled, her blush deepening, "I'd like to do an activity together."

"You would?" Yue nodded happily and Sokka practically melted on the walk because she did. "Wow…an activity," Sokka sighed dreamily, unable to comprehend that she'd actually agreed in the first place.

"So…what did you have in mind?" she asked.

"What about my mind?" Sokka replied blankly.

"What do you want to do, Sokka?" Yue laughed in clarification, growing more and more enamored with him as the seconds passed. "What activity?" she prodded.

"Oh…" Sokka frowned as a new thought occurred to him. "Actually, I don't know," he admitted a little awkwardly, "What do the young people do for fun around here?"

Yue's eyes twinkled. "I know the perfect thing," she said. "Meet me on that bridge," she swiveled around, indicating the one they'd just passed, "in one hour and make sure your feet are bundled well."

"What are we going to do?"

"Just trust me," she entreated with a shy smile, "You'll have fun."

"I'm sure I will…" he sighed.

"Oh and, Sokka?" Yue added in parting.

"Huh?"

"You might want to watch your step," she warned. Sokka frowned in confusion a split second before he stepped off the promenade completely and into the freezing canal. His startled yelp echoed through the twisting waterways. Yue choked back a giggle. "Sorry!"

"That's okay," Sokka called back in reassurance after he'd pulled himself from the water and back onto the ice-walk. He watched as her skiff gradually disappeared from his sight, a besotted smile wreathed across his face. "It was definitely worth it."

****

"So you want to hear about my date with Princess Yue?"

Katara rolled upright, ceasing in her idle scratching of Momo's belly to favor her brother with a sour look. She ignored the lemur's woeful chirp of disappointment. Disgruntled, he scurried to the far side of the room to administer his own brand of tlc by carefully grooming himself. While Momo picked juicy bugs out of his fur and munched them delightfully, Sokka fell down beside Katara with a contented sigh. The insipidly happy expression on his face only served to darken her mood further.

"I had an amazing time," he sighed dreamily.

She plopped back against her thick, fur pallet. "Good for you," she replied in a tone that was anything but enthused.

"She took me ice-blading," Sokka exclaimed, seemingly unaware with Katara's disinterest. He flipped onto his stomach with a wistful sigh. "It was the most amazing thing! They actually strap blades to your feet and then you glide around on the ice! Some of the Waterbenders were all flashy about it, but I think the way Yue taught me was tons better! I was flopping all over the place, making a complete fool of myself but, while I was with her, I didn't even care. She is soo beautiful." He rolled to face his sister, his expression a mixture of awe and excitement as he regarded her with luminous eyes. "Katara…I think I'm falling in love."

His usually romantic sister snorted at the very idea. "In love? Sokka, you've known her barely an entire day!" Katara scoffed.

Sokka flopped onto his back, spreading his arms wide with a contented sigh. "Sometimes all you need is a day, Katara," he murmured.

Unbidden, the memory of Aang's kiss suddenly flashed through Katara's mind. She could remember vividly how warm his lips had felt against hers and the distinct feel of his fingertips brushing across her cheeks. The taste of him had lingered on her lips afterward, something vaguely sweet…just like his personality. Her fingers drifted briefly to her lips with the recollection. Yet, as quickly at the warm feelings that came with the memory flashed, Katara chased them away. She didn't want to remember because remembering would only lead to an obsession for answers to questions she'd never have the chance to ask.

"I don't know, Sokka," she hedged, "We've only been here a day and you and Yue just met. You don't really believe in that 'love at first sight' stuff, do you?"

Abruptly, Sokka surged upright, staring at Katara as if she'd just sprouted horns and beak. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" he demanded suspiciously.

"What?" Katara replied a little defensively.

"If I expected anyone to get the whole, 'I looked at her and I knew she was the one' thing, I thought it would be _you_," Sokka said, "Whenever Mom would tell the stories of how she and Dad met and fell in love, you always ate that stuff up."

"Because it was our parents," Katara argued. "It's different when you hear how hard Dad tried to win Mom's affections, even though she barely gave him the time of day. It was romantic that he didn't give up."

"And what I feel for Yue isn't romantic?" Sokka demanded in an insulted tone.

"I'm not saying that," Katara soothed him quickly, "but, what about Suki? I thought you were all into her."

"I am. I mean I was. I mean…" Sokka frowned and took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again. "Suki and I never had a chance," he said finally, "We were going into two different directions. Circumstances weren't on our sides and it just worked out how it worked out."

"So does that mean you don't feel anything for her anymore?" Katara wondered, "Now that you're with Yue, I mean."

"I'm not with Yue," Sokka clarified, "Though I'd like to be. As for how I feel about Suki…that's still there, I guess. Maybe I could have loved her if we'd had more time together, but…I haven't really thought about it." He scowled at Katara. "Thanks a lot, Katara! I was happy five minutes ago and now, after talking to you, I'm all confused!"

"Sorry," Katara mumbled contritely.

"What's with you anyway?" Sokka demanded, unable to ignore her glum demeanor any longer. "I thought I saw you walking away from the training arena earlier. What happened? Waterbending not coming to you as easily as you thought it would?"

At that precise moment, Zuko dragged himself through the entrance of their guest room. His body was stooped with exhaustion. Katara glowered at him. "Why don't you ask Master Pakku's new best friend what happened?" she snapped irately in response to Sokka's question.

Zuko collapsed to the floor with a fatigued groan. "I see you're still mad," he observed.

"Sokka, will you please tell that person that I am not speaking to him," Katara responded with a haughty sniff, "That is, not until he apologizes for betraying me."

"Betraying you?" Zuko snorted, thoroughly ignoring her attempts to give him the silent treatment, "What about what you did to me?"

Though he knew he would likely regret doing so later, Sokka said, "Okay, somebody tell me what's going on here!" When Zuko and Katara began yammering at him simultaneously, both pointing accusing fingers and drowning out the other in the evolving screaming match, Sokka knew for a certainty he was going to have a throbbing headache later. Sighing in exasperation, he wedged himself between them and forcefully pried them apart. "One at a time!" he yelled over their squabbling. His reward was instant silence. Mollified, Sokka nodded to his sister. "You start."

"Okay, here's what happened," Katara recounted stiffly, "Zuko and I went to Master Pakku this morning for our lesson just as planned. But then when we get there, Pakku goes on this whole spiel about how he doesn't teach girls, blah, blah, blah and that he won't accept me as his student _and_ Zuko agrees with him!"

"I did not!" Zuko retorted, "But I wasn't going to stand there and let you insult him, possibly ruining my only chance to master waterbending!"

Sokka was inevitably smashed between them as Zuko and Katara squared off again. "What about me?" Katara cried, "We were supposed to learn waterbending together!"

"That was never _my_ plan," Zuko pointed out to her, "That was what _you_ wanted and it was fine, as long as it didn't interfere with what I needed to do!"

"Oh, so now that my desire to become a Waterbender is inconvenient for you, you can't be bothered?" Katara flung out in accusation. "Wow! Way to look out for number one there, Zuko!"

"Me?" he thundered, "You're accusing _me_ of being selfish! You _want_ to learn waterbending, Katara, but I _have_ to! That's the difference between us! But did you stop for once second and think about that? No. You just got in Master Pakku's face without a thought about the consequences! What would have happened if he'd refused to teach me after the stuff you pulled this morning? Then what?"

The angry bluster abruptly deflated from Katara and she was left sagging in the aftermath. "You're supposed to be my friend, Zuko," she whispered, "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I _am_ your friend," he insisted, his tone softer as well, "but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything you do and say."

Katara turned her back and dropped to her knees, slumping forward in defeat. "You don't understand," she muttered softly, "for as long as I can remember, all I've ever wanted was to become a master Waterbender. It's in my blood, Zuko. It's all I know. If I can't be a Waterbender then…then I don't know what good I am."

Sighing in commiseration, Zuko folded down beside her and placed his hand onto her shoulder. "I'll make you a deal," he said, "You promise you won't insult Master Pakku anymore and I promise I'll teach you everything he teaches me."

Katara stared at him with wide eyes full of gratitude. "You will?" Zuko nodded. "Oh Zuko, you're the best! I take back every hateful thing I thought about you today!" she cried, flinging her arms around him and hugging him with such force that she knocked the wind out of him. "I won't make you sorry!" she swore, "I promise."

"I hope not," Zuko grumbled. "We have to keep this quiet, okay? I don't think Master Pakku would be pleased if he knew I was showing you."

"I won't say a word," Katara vowed.

"Okay, okay," Sokka insinuated patiently, "now that we've finally put that behind us and moved on, does anyone want to hear about the great time I had with Yue this afternoon?"

"Nah," Zuko and Katara answered simultaneously, "Not really."

Their plan worked well in the beginning. In the morning, Zuko would spend hours and hours with Master Pakku learning to push and pull the water, each day the movements becoming more complicated. And then in the late evening, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Zuko and Katara would sneak out together into Pakku's courtyard and he would teach her all the things he had learned that day. However, after three straight days of rising early and staying up late, Zuko became inevitably exhausted and his fatigue began to manifest itself during his training sessions with Pakku.

When he failed to execute a generally simple move which left him open for his instructor's ice dagger attack, Master Pakku became fed up. "Where is your focus, Zuko?" he snapped harshly as he liquefied the icy shards. "Had I been the enemy, you would be dead!"

"I'm sorry, Master Pakku," Zuko returned dutifully.

"We have practiced this move countless times and now, this morning, you suddenly cannot remember how to follow through?"

"I can't help it!" Zuko replied a little crossly, "I'm really tired and that's making it difficult for me to concentrate."

"You're tired?" Pakku scoffed, "That's not an excuse!"

"I haven't been sleeping, okay!"

Pakku narrowed his eyes, caught somewhere between concern and annoyance. "You're not sleeping well at night? Why not?"

"I have nightmares," Zuko lied smoothly. Though technically, it wasn't a lie. He _did_ have nightmares. They weren't the reason he was so sleep deprived, but he did have them.

Though displeased with Zuko's performance that morning, Pakku was also sympathetic to the young Avatar's plight. Even as he stood before Pakku, Zuko bobbed and weaved as if he would collapse in the snow at any given moment. "Very well," Pakku relented with a deep sigh, "You may take the remainder of the afternoon off. But I expect you to be refreshed and ready tomorrow. No excuses."

Ten minutes later, Katara was just as surprised to see Zuko arrive home in the early afternoon as he was to find her there. "What are you doing here? What happened to your healing session?" he asked her as he crawled over to his pallet and literally buckled face first into the cushions after giving Momo's head an absent pat. "I am so tired," he announced, his words muffled. He barely cared when the lemur scampered up onto his back and curled up comfortably. He was simply too exhausted to protest.

"That's why I'm home too," Katara told him. "I blew off my lesson. I'm literally walking dead today. I've gotten less than 10 hours of sleep in the last 3 days," she complained, "Something has to give."

Zuko turned a weary glance towards her. "This is just the way it has to be. Once we leave here, it will be easier."

"I guess," Katara mumbled.

"Master Pakku said I could have the day off," Zuko told her, "I'm going to use this opportunity to rest up so I'll be ready for tomorrow." However, when he settled back into his pallet to do that, something else occurred to him and he suddenly popped back up again with a frown. "Where's Sokka?"

"He's out with Yue again."

Zuko's frown became pensive with her answer. "They're seeing an awful lot of each other, aren't they?"

"Sokka thinks he's in love with her," Katara recounted.

"Oh. I wonder what he's going to do when the time comes for us to leave," Zuko considered, "Do you suppose he's thinking about staying here with her?"

"Of course not," Katara dismissed, though part of her was a bit unsure, "Sokka knows that his place is with us. We need him." Zuko's answer to that was a yawn before he closed his eyes to catch some sleep. Unfortunately, Katara had different plans. "So are we still on for tonight?" she asked.

Zuko's eyes popped open. "What?"

"We're still training, right?" Katara prompted.

"Are you kidding? I'm too tired to even blink, Katara," Zuko grunted. "Besides, I wasn't even with Master Pakku the whole day. My lesson this morning was a complete disaster."

"You were with him for two hours," Katara pointed out, "I'm sure you learned plenty in that time and I want you to show me tonight. I don't want to fall behind."

"So…" Master Pakku's voice suddenly sounded sharply from the doorway, causing Zuko and Katara to scramble upright. Momo was abruptly shaken from his nap and responded with a loud screech but neither Katara nor Zuko acknowledged him. They're attention was directed solely towards Master Pakku. They regarded the irate Waterbender with wide, dismayed eyes. "…this is how you repay my hospitality…by disrespecting me and my customs! I should have known," he grated in disgust.

"No, Master Pakku, let me explain," Zuko rushed out, "It's not what you're thinking!"

"I believe it is exactly what I'm thinking!" the waterbending master spat in return, "And I sincerely hope it was worth it because, as of this moment, you are no longer welcome as my student!"


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

"We're going to have to apologize to him," Zuko determined grimly as he paced the floor in frenetic circles, "That's the only way to fix this."

Katara, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as keen on the idea of apologizing. In fact, the idea of accepting responsibility for any wrongdoing at all was ludicrous to her. "What exactly are we supposed to be sorry for?" she demanded. "It's not like we broke his precious rules or anything! He said _he_ wouldn't teach me. He didn't say a word about _you_ doing it!"

Zuko paused long enough to scowl at her. "I think you know the difference."

Her response to that was a laconic shrug. "Can I help it if he didn't clarify?"

Katara's indifference to the situation only further agitated Zuko. He leveled her with another piercing glare, his patience pushed to the limit. "You are going to apologize to him, Katara," he stated implacably, "What am I supposed to do now that he refuses to teach me, huh?"

"There are other Waterbenders here," Katara said, offhand.

"Who also happen to be either students or former students of Master Pakku," Zuko grated angrily. "They are not going to disrespect his feelings to teach me. _You're_ going to fix this and you're going to fix it right _now_!"

"Is that a command or something, your royal sourness? Are you _ordering_ me?" Katara demanded dubiously. She deliberately rose to her feet so that she and Zuko were standing nose to nose. "Well?" she challenged.

"Yeah," he said, not the slightest bit intimidated, "I'm ordering you. Go apologize."

"Why, you unbelievable, arrogant—,"

Sokka wisely insinuated himself between the two of them. "Hold that thought. Let's not say anything we'll regret later," he interrupted, "Everyone to their respective corners." If possible the confines between Zuko and Katara became even tighter as they glared one another down. "Please," Sokka stressed. He didn't relax until they had both backed off and retreated to opposite sides of the room. He ignored the insults they hurled at him and at each other. Sokka had averted potential disaster and that was all that mattered to him.

Having lived with Katara her entire life, Sokka was well acquainted with her legendary temper. He had been on the receiving end of it more than once. Sokka seriously doubted that Zuko wanted to get a taste of that. Then again, an infuriated Zuko was no picnic either. Add the whole glowing, angry god thing to the mix and there was bound to be some real ugliness to ensue if their tempers were left unchecked. The last thing he wanted was to see the two of them fight and not for sentimental reasons either. A knock-down, drag-out between Zuko and Katara was likely to be explosive. Frankly, Sokka didn't want to witness the carnage.

"Okay…" Sokka began with a heavy sigh, "is it possible that you're blowing this out of proportion, Zuko? This sounds to me like a whole lot of people got offended for silly reasons."

"What? So you think I'm overreacting?" he snapped, "How can you say that? My waterbending teacher refuses to finish my training!"

"Before you tear my head off with your teeth, hear me out," Sokka prefaced. "These are the facts as we know them. Master Pakku feels that you've pretty much thumbed your nose at the age old customs of his tribe and spit on the knowledge he's shared with you. I can see why that would upset you. But, how bad can it be? We're still guests in his home, after all. He hasn't thrown us in the streets, so maybe it's not as bad as you think."

"He refuses to complete my training, Sokka," Zuko emphasized yet again, this time through clenched teeth, "It _is_ as bad as I think."

"Okay, there's still no need to panic," Sokka soothed him. "You forget…Chief Arnook's daughter is my woman." He ignored Katara's eye roll and groan at that and pressed on. "I'm meeting Yue for ice-blading in an hour. I can talk to her and see if she can get her father to put the pressure on Master Pakku. Surely he'll change his mind after that."

Some of the belligerence melted from Zuko's features as he regarded Sokka with a tiny flare of hope. "Are you sure, Sokka?" he worried, "Do you think Yue will be able to help me?"

Sokka looped an arm about Zuko's neck. "Of course, she can help you. Trust me on this, buddy. I've got everything under control."

****

"I'm sorry. I can't help you, Sokka." Yue's refusal, while gentle, was wholly unexpected and, consequently, broke Sokka's concentration. Without warning, his feet slipped out from under him in a dizzying whir. He landed on his backside against the ice with a loud thwack and a distressed cry. Sokka groaned in agony. Torn between laughter and sympathy, Yue instantly stooped down to assist him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" she asked solicitously as she helped him carefully glide over to the outer perimeters of the lake. "Go slowly," she coached him, "You don't want to fall again."

Sokka eased down onto the snowy bank with a serrated groan. "I think I broke my tailbone," he pouted.

"Oh, poor Sokka." Yue kissed the tip of his nose. "Does that make it better?"

"It still hurts a little," Sokka said, blinking up at her innocently.

She smiled and leaned forward to give him another kiss, this one lingering and soft against his lips. "How was that?" Yue whispered.

"The pain is starting to fade," he murmured, surveying her with a half-lidded stare, "Maybe if you could do it once more…" However, when their kiss started to deepen considerably, Sokka belatedly remembered that he had other business that he needed to attend to first. Reluctantly, he broke the contact between them and regarded Yue with a rueful look. "Why do you have to be so distracting?" he wondered aloud.

"Is that bad?" she laughed.

"It is when I'm supposed to be concentrating on Zuko," Sokka said, "Are you sure there isn't anything your father can do to change Master Pakku's mind?"

"I already told you that he's spoken to Master Pakku," Yue replied. "My father explained all the reasons why it was so important for him to continue with the Avatar's training, but Master Pakku would hear none of it."

"Did Chief Arnook mention that the fate of the whole world depends of it?"

Yue nodded. "He went through the all the worst cast scenarios,," she said, "Master Pakku seems to believe that, if Zuko can't respect our customs here, he won't respect waterbending either."

"But he _does_ respect it!" Sokka cried, "You have no idea how seriously he takes his training! He's wanted this since the beginning."

"Maybe there is one thing you can do," Yue considered after some thought.

"Tell me, tell me," Sokka pressed eagerly, "We're pretty much desperate at this point."

"Well, your sister could apologize to Master Pakku," Yue suggested. "He holds her primarily responsible for this whole thing."

Sokka slumped forward in disappointment. "Oh well then, we're doomed. That's not ever going to happen," he declared wryly.

"But you said the wor—,"

He pressed mitted fingers to Yue's lips. "You don't know my sister," he insisted. "It's _not_ going to happen."

"Oh," she replied, half amused, half disappointed, "So what will you do now?"

"Accept that both Katara and Zuko are mule-headed jerks and that they'll probably come to blows over this," Sokka stated flatly.

"You don't really think it will come to that, do you?" Yue laughed incredulously.

"Trust me. It _will_ come to that," Sokka confirmed, "And when it does, I don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity."

"Sorry."

He cupped her cheek and smiled at her. "Don't worry about it," he said. "In fact, let's change the subject altogether. Zuko and Katara got themselves into this mess and now it's up to them to get themselves out of it."

"So what should we talk about?" Yue asked gamely, snuggling into the circle of his arms after Sokka had found a nice groove in the snow to recline.

"Today's your birthday," he murmured thoughtfully.

She smiled into his chest. "Yes, I know."

"Any thoughts on what you want as a gift?" he wondered.

He had considered taking her for an impromptu ride on Appa, but Zuko had been so touchy lately that he didn't want to risk it. The realization was disappointing. Other than the thrill of riding a ten ton mythical monster, there wasn't much Sokka could give her, but then, even if there was, what did one give to a _princess_ as a present? That evening her father was throwing an elaborate banquet in her honor. Master Pakku and his students were set to perform for her personally. She was likely to be showered with jewels and trinkets and exotic pelts. How could Sokka possibly top that? The answer to that question proved to be a conundrum for him and a daunting one at that.

Suspecting his brooding thoughts, Yue tipped a glance up at him. "I already have what I want," she said, "I have you, Sokka. You're the present I didn't even know I wanted."

Her response smoothed the preoccupied crease from his forehead, just as she'd hoped it would. Sokka feathered a light kiss against her lips. "How do you always know the right things to say?"

She smiled at him, eyes twinkling as she replied, "Maybe because I'm saying them to the right person."

****

"This isn't Zuko's fault," Katara announced before a council of three that consisted of Chief Arnook, his aid and Master Pakku. The three men regarded her stoically from their perch high on the council steps while she made a fervent argument on Zuko's behalf. "If you want to punish someone, then punish me!"

"I have no interest in punishing you," Master Pakku replied. He allowed the surprise over his statement to settle between Katara and Zuko before he added, "I want you to learn some humility."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara demanded suspiciously.

"I think what Master Pakku is trying to say is that he would be persuaded to take the Avatar back as a student, _if_ you swallow your pride and apologize to him," Chief Arnook explained.

"She'll do it!" Zuko blurted without preamble. He gave Katara a light poke in the back, for which he received an eviscerating glare in return.

"Well," Pakku prodded in an almost smug tone, "I'm waiting, _little_ _girl_."

Even if she had been willing to choke the words past her lips, the impulse to do so would have been lost the second he goaded her. It was the final straw for Katara; insult heaped on top of the emotional injury Zuko had already dealt her. Her anger burned with white hot immediacy: at Master Pakku for subverting her lifelong dream by his archaic refusal to teach her and at the patriarchal hierarchy on which the Northern Water Tribe had been established. But mostly, she was angry with Zuko, her supposed friend, whose support and understanding had proved nonexistent when she truly needed it. Katara felt betrayed by them but none more so than Zuko.

"No!" she snapped suddenly, the force of her ire causing jagged fissures to split the icy floor, "I'm not apologizing to you because I'm not sorry! The other day I learned that my grandmother had been born and raised here, but she ran away! Now I understand why she did!" She raked a sneering glance down the men before her. "This is no place for a woman as spirited as my grandmother! You people can't handle that kind of fire! I won't apologize to you," she announced with deadly calm, "If anyone should do that, it should be _you_ apologizing to _me_."

Pakku turned towards Chief Arnook, gesturing towards Katara. "You see?" he said, "This is exactly what I meant. This girl has no respect for our culture or our traditions! And it is obvious that the Avatar values her approval over his training, otherwise he would not have defied me by teaching her when he knew I disapproved. I cannot revise my decision, not when I don't trust him to respect my feelings on the matter."

"Master Pakku, I came all this way to learn waterbending!" Zuko entreated, responding as if the waterbending master had voiced his concerns directly to him. "There was no disrespect intended. I care about my friend, but my training is priority to me. You are my only hope. There is no one else!"

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before," Pakku responded softly. He leveled Katara with a penetrating look. "However, your friend can change the outcome…if she chooses." Katara crossed her arms, making it absolutely clear with her body language that her subjugation on the matter was not a possibility. "Very well," Pakku sighed, "She's made the choice…for herself and for you."

Refusing to acknowledge the insidious pricks of guilt already stinging her heart, Katara pivoted on her heel. She was prepared to march out of there and to keep marching until she had left the Northern Water Tribe behind altogether, but Zuko snagged hold of her arm. "What are you doing?" he hissed, "You can't just walk away from this!"

The fact that he had dared to restrain her when she was so emotionally raw snapped the last, fragile hold Katara held on her temper. She rounded on Zuko like an enraged valkyrie, yanking her arm from his grasp. "How dare you?" she spat, "I thought you would understand better than anyone how much this meant to me! You knew it was more than a whim! They're not being fair to me and you know it, but it's like you don't even care!"

"You're accusing _me_ of not caring?" Zuko exploded. "I risked _everything_ to teach you what I knew, Katara, even when I knew better! Every night we practiced I was taking a chance, but I did it because I knew it meant so much to you! Now it's your turn to do something for me, but you can't! Your stupid pride means more to you than me fulfilling my destiny!"

"Have you even stopped to wonder why that's even an issue?" Katara wondered. "Why do I need to be humiliated just so Master Pakku can teach you? What's more…why are you okay with that?"

"Are you going to apologize or not?" Zuko demanded stiffly.

"I'm not," Katara retorted hotly.

When she started to walk away again, Zuko did the only thing he could do. He bent forth manacles of thick ice that crept around her ankles, anchoring her in place. Katara was livid. She threw a glare back at Zuko, her teeth bared in a snarl of fury. "Oh, is this how you want to play it?" she asked in a dangerously calm tone, "Then let's go!" In one fluid motion, she bent herself free from her shackles and threw the liquefied bonds at Zuko in a crashing wave of water.

He solidified the rushing wall into a shelf of ice, surfing towards Katara with lightning speed in an attempt to knock her off her feet. Realizing his intention, Katara abruptly dissolved his perch and sent Zuko tumbling into the snow. He agilely rolled to his feet, darting and dancing out of her line of fire. Commanding a coil of water from the ground like a lasso, Zuko lashed at Katara's ankles in yet another attempt to take her down. She, in turn, froze his water whip mid-snap, so that it broke in half and shattered uselessly to the ground. Before he could make a second attempt to subdue her, however, Katara bent up a thick funnel of snow that coiled around Zuko's body like a striking serpent, constricting his body on the ascent.

The Northern Water Tribe Council watched the bending duel unfold with a mixture of horror and dawning respect. "Should we stop this?" Chief Arnook asked Master Pakku in aside.

Pakku held up a hand to stave off Arnook's intention to break up the fight. "Give them a moment," he said. "She wants to fight so badly, let's see how well she holds her own against the Avatar."

As if to prove that he would indeed give Katara a run for her money, Zuko disintegrated the snow funnel with a low grunt, causing it to burst into a cloud of shimmering snowflakes. Katara charged at him, but he easily swept her off her feet with a sweeping column of air mixed with snow. Every attempt she made to out-bend him was countered and offset with an airbending assault. Katara might have been able to match him blow for blow with one element on her side, but Zuko commanded two and she was clearly outmatched. However, the longer Zuko kept her at bay, the harder Katara pushed.

Growing weary and frustrated and not wanting to cause her inadvertent harm, Zuko finally decided to end it. He knocked her back with a blast of wind and then, when she was off-balance, began bending and flexing his arms in a rapid, circular motion. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he built layer upon layer of ice around Katara until she was encased completely in a crystallized sphere, trapped and immobile. She glared at him through the translucent surface, her blue eyes leaping with fury.

Exhausted and panting hard in the aftermath, Zuko sank to his knees in the rumpled drifts of snow and concentrated on catching his breath. Only when he was calmer and he suspected that Katara was calmer as well, did he finally free her from the orb prison. She fell to her knees as well, gasping for breath; hair unbound and cheeks ruddy with exertion. They regarded on another wordlessly, a wealth of unspoken tension between them.

They were still in the midst of composing themselves when the thumping cadence of lone applause reached their ears. Both Katara and Zuko glanced up to find Master Pakku approaching, his expression curiously serene. "That was impressive," he noted with a mild look of approval directed at Zuko. "I can see that all those extra hours of practice have served you well. You've proven yourself an exceptional student, Avatar Zuko." Pakku then turned his gaze to Katara, his tone almost admiring when he added, "As have you."

"But you still won't teach me, will you?" Katara surmised bitterly.

"This has been a tradition in our tribe for many generations," Pakku explained.

"Well, there are some traditions that aren't worth holding on to," Katara retorted as she struggled to her feet. "It's your loss." She snapped a scornful glance in Zuko's direction before adding rather meaningfully, "_I_ would have been the best student you ever had."

Pakku didn't doubt for a single second that declaration was true. Even primarily self-taught she had managed to hold her own against Zuko, nearly matching his airbending prowess and all the waterbending techniques Pakku had taught him. She had the courage, drive and natural talent to make an excellent Waterbender. If her skills were to be honed, she would make a formidable opponent, an unquestionable master. The waterbending master found himself lamenting the fact she was female even he began to question why that was even important anymore. He started to express the thought aloud when the glare of the sun glanced across Katara's necklace as she walked past him, instantly capturing Pakku's attention.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded sharply.

Katara faltered a step, frowning at him. "Get what?"

"The necklace," Pakku clarified. "Where did you get that necklace? It's a betrothal necklace, you know?"

Her fingers automatically fluttered to her throat at the mention of it. She feathered a touch across the cool, engraved metal. "Yes, Yugoda told me, but I'm not engaged. This was my mother's necklace," Katara explained to him, "and her mother's before me."

"I…made that necklace," Pakku revealed slowly.

"What?"

He moved closer, disturbing Katara slightly with his proximity as he reached out, without permission, and grasped hold of the necklace for closer scrutiny. However, Pakku seemed oblivious to her discomfort. His eyes were glued to the necklace. "Yes, this is mine," he declared with strengthening conviction, "I made it sixty years ago. It was a betrothal gift for the love of my life." He flashed a desperate look to Katara's face. "You said your grandmother was born here. What's her name?"

"Kanna."

Pakku stumbled back several steps. "Kanna…" he whispered, half reverently, half agonized, "Of course…of course…you're Kanna's granddaughter." He swallowed thickly. "No wonder," he murmured, finally able to understand the inexplicable pull he'd felt for Katara. Now he understood fully why she had seemed so familiar to him…she was the spitting image of her grandmother at that age. Pakku closed his eyes, murmuring the name of his lost love again…a name he had forced himself not to speak or even think of in decades. "At least I know she's alive now…" he breathed finally.

"Wait a minute," Katara said, clearly horrified and reeling with the turn of events, "Are you…are you saying that _you_ were once engaged to my Gran-Gran?"

"Well…" Zuko breathed concisely from the sidelines, "This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'small world, doesn't it?'"

****

Katara and Zuko weren't speaking to each other. They sat on opposite sides of the great banquet hall, barely even acknowledging one another, sulking. Zuko was speaking with Chief Arnook while Katara was moodily feeding Momo leftover scraps from her dinner. Sokka found the development incredibly sad given the fact that they both had finally gotten what they wanted. Zuko and Katara were now _both _students of Master Pakku, set to train side by side. The conflict between them was over, but the emotional chasm created in the process was still miles wide.

At present, Sokka was serving as mediator between them. For the better part of the day he had alternated between refereeing their volleying insults and facilitating a truce. Neither had been very receptive. Were it not for his excitement over spending time with Yue that evening, Sokka's patience with the duo would have quickly worn thin.

But, amazingly in spite of the less than ideal circumstances, he was in a good mood. Even the news that his gran gran had once been betrothed to Master Pakku failed to weird him out completely. He was so enamored of Yue that nothing else mattered.

Presently, he was waiting for her to resume her seat alongside him. Only a few moments earlier, she had been called forward by her father to be presented to the gathered crowd as one of marriageable age. In her Tribe's eyes, Yue was now a woman. She was not only celebrating a birthday but a rite of passage. Sokka fully understood the magnitude of the situation. In his own Tribe, at fourteen, a boy must take part in an ice dodging ceremony, which Sokka had never had the opportunity to complete. His father had left for the war before that time. In a way, Sokka envied Yue even as he was brimmed over with pride for her as well.

Still, the idea of Yue as a woman created a plethora of mixed emotions within Sokka. Mostly, however, he found himself thinking about their future. Future, he mused in astonishment. He was actually considering that. He was actually contemplating spending the rest of his life with Yue. And it wasn't the least bit terrifying, as he would have expected it to be. The prospect was actually pretty exciting and exhilarating. He was anxious for Yue to return so he could share with her the strange new feelings he was having, but when Sokka scanned the banquet hall, he saw no sign of Yue whatsoever.

Frowning, he shoved to his feet and crossed over to his sister, who was pressed in the shadows, staring at Zuko while pretending not to be staring at him at all. "Have you seen Yue?" he asked her.

"No," Katara answered sullenly.

Sokka heaved an impatient sigh. "Katara, you've been sitting near the exit all night," he reasoned, "Are you sure you didn't see her go out?"

"Maybe a few minutes ago," Katara conceded, obviously distracted.

"Gee thanks," Sokka deadpanned.

Katara waved him away; too busy glaring holes in Zuko's back. She contemplated sending Momo over to him on a vicious bite campaign, but she knew it was a wash without even making the attempt. Momo was as loyal to Zuko as he'd been to Aang. She'd have to find a different way to make Zuko squirm.

In the meantime, however, she gradually became aware that her brother continued to hover beside her. Thinking that he was waiting for some sort of reply from her, Katara replied with a rather cursory air, "Yeah, no problem, Sokka. Glad to help."

Sokka started to turn and leave her to her seething, but changed his mind at the last minute and decided to leave her with a parting shot instead. "You know, it's obvious that this tension between you guys is making you miserable, Katara." She turned to regard him with expressionless eyes. "I just wonder who you're trying to punish here," Sokka considered softly, "Zuko or yourself?" He left her to mull that over and ducked outside to search for Yue.

After a few minutes, he found her loitering on a nearby bridge, staring out across the water. Saturated in moonlight and lost in thought, Yue had never been more beautiful to him. As if pulled by an invisible string, he drifted over to her and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Happy birthday," he whispered.

Rather than smiling and turning into his arms, however, Yue jumped away from him as if she'd been burned. For a moment, her eyes flared with something inexplicable before the light flickered out of them altogether. "What are you doing out here, Sokka?" she asked glumly.

"When you didn't come back right away, I started to worry," Sokka explained.

"Well, you can go back now," she told him. "I'm fine."

Her tone was cold and devoid of joy…completely unlike Yue. Sokka frowned at the change. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"I…I guess I just realized how this is never going to work out between us!" Yue burst out suddenly.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"We're from different worlds, Sokka."

"Oh," he mumbled in disappointment, "I see. This is about you being a princess and me…being beneath you, right? I'm nothing but a Southern Water Tribe peasant. How could I hope for something more with you?"

"Sokka, that's not it at all!" Yue cried in a burst of emotion. She began to cry. "You don't understand what's happened! It's all falling apart!"

"What, Yue?" Sokka pressed, growing more and more anxious, "Just tell me!"

Wordlessly, she tugged down the collar of her parka, revealing the gleaming betrothal necklace at her throat. "I'm engaged," she confessed thickly. "My father told me tonight. It's been arranged since I was three years old."

"Wh-What?"

"I can't be with you, Sokka," she sobbed. "I'm sorry!" She ran back for the banquet hall, leaving him alone on the bridge, stunned and reeling in the aftermath. He started after her, wanting to pursue but suspecting the act would be altogether futile. Yue had already told him goodbye, so it was evident what decision she'd made.

Sokka was so destroyed by the news, so bereft that it took several minutes for him to take notice of the flakes of black soot mixed with snow swirling around him.


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

The Northern Water Tribe Council, Zuko, Katara and Sokka gathered together the following morning on the fortified, outer wall that served as the gate to the city. Out on the horizon, the acrid pillars of rancid smoke poured from the Fire Nation steamers and gradually filled the sky like an expanding storm cloud, blotting out the tawny light of sunrise. In the harsh illumination of daybreak, Chief Arnook could clearly see that it wasn't only a few ships headed their way as he'd first hoped, but an armada.

"This is very bad," Sokka muttered direly. He had known the night before when the black snow began to fall that danger loomed on the horizon. Back home in his village, the snow had always served as a sign that a Fire Nation raid was imminent. Sokka had gone to Chief Arnook immediately, but it wasn't until the next morning that the Water Tribe chief and his Council had a clear indication of what they were dealing with.

"What is our course of action?" Pakku asked Arnook.

"Defend our home, of course," the chief replied without reserve.

"Can you stand against so many ships?" Katara wondered anxiously.

"A better question would be, 'can _they_ stand against _us_?'" Pakku countered. "This battle belongs to us. We have the home advantage. Our element surrounds us on all four sides. If the Fire Nation wants to take our home, they won't have an easy time of it."

"I had prayed that it would not need to come to this," Chief Arnook murmured to himself. But the moment of lamentation was brief. An instant later, he squared his shoulders, his features becoming hard with resolve as he stared out at the horizon. "No matter," he said, "They've come to fight. Then we'll give them one they'll never forget." He traded a meaningful glance with Master Pakku. "We will fight until the last man falls."

"I can fly out to sea and do a little reconnaissance," Zuko volunteered, already snapping his glider open. "That way we can know exactly what we're up against."

"Zuko, you can't go out there alone! It's too dangerous!" Katara burst out, speaking to him directly for the first time in nearly twenty hours. "What if they see you?"

"I'm probably the only one who can get close enough without being shot down before I do," Zuko told her, "It's the only option we have."

"I'm going with you," Katara determined, ready to bend down a shelf of ice so that she could go after Appa.

Zuko caught her arm. "No," he said firmly. "I'm only going to check things out. Let me do what I have to do." When she still appeared uneasy over the prospect, he promised with soft fervency, "Katara, I'll be back. I'll be careful." The two exchanged terse nods of acknowledgement before Zuko squared his shoulders and took flight.

It took him nearly an hour to reach the steamers and when he did, what Zuko saw stole his breath. The fleet stretched on for miles and miles. There were so many ships that it was impossible to even glimpse the sea beyond them. This was no ordinary raid, Zuko determined. The Fire Nation had come to destroy.

Zuko hadn't even begun to mentally digest the magnitude of the situation before he found himself mired in a network of flaming boulders. They blazed past him with alarming speed, giving him little choice but to pull up and back. He wound his way through the fiery onslaught, taking advantage of an opening in the fiery barrage. Using an upward current of air, he guided his glider above the attack. He had never flown so high before. The altitude made him a little dizzy, but he managed to maintain control of himself and the glider.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to pat himself on the back over that new accomplishment because the Fire Nation, having readjusted their trajectory, was renewing their attack. Zuko took one assault at a time, frantically searching for an escape through the ring of fire. He sailed through, upside down, darting sideways when yet another group of boulders came at him. Determined, he meandered his way through, up and down, left and right, the heat of the attacks grazing his body and the delicate wings of his glider. After five terrifying minutes, he managed to fly himself clear of the attack and headed back for the Water Tribe gates as quickly as he could. It only vaguely registered to Zuko that surviving the attack meant his airbending had improved greatly.

By the time he returned to the wall, Chief Arnook and Master Pakku had already gone to begin mobilizing their forces, but Katara and Sokka were still loitering on the wall, obviously worried. "Well?" Sokka pressed anxiously the moment Zuko landed.

"It's bad," the young Avatar confirmed, "There are so many of them…so many I couldn't even count."

"Oh no…" Katara groaned.

"This is no ordinary attack," Zuko said. "They had to know I was here. When they saw me… It was just too crazy."

"They saw you?" Sokka burst out.

"They did everything they could to shoot me out of the sky," Zuko confirmed, "I know I'm the reason they're here. Why else would they gather so many ships? It's my fault that this is happening. I ruin everything I touch."

"Zuko, you can't know that," Katara reasoned softly, "From what I've been told, the Fire Nation has tried numerous times to defeat the North Tribe and failed numerous times. This is just another one of those times."

"Either way, the Fire Nation is headed here and they mean business. Chief Arnook needs to know what's ahead of him," Sokka interjected, "I'm going to let him know what's going on."

"We'll come with you," Zuko volunteered.

Katara snagged hold of him before he could follow Sokka in his descent down the wall. "Are you okay?" she pressed worriedly.

Zuko brushed away her hand, barely looking at her when he replied, "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"Considering the circumstances, our fight seems rather petty now," Katara mumbled. "Besides, I don't want us to go into battle mad at each other. Do you?"

"I'm not mad at you, Katara," Zuko replied lightly, "Not anymore. But you need to figure out why you came with me on this journey. Was it to help me…or yourself?" With that, he snapped open his glider and sailed off the wall, leaving Katara to stare after him in with a mixture of anger, frustration and regret.

****

"The mission before you will be perilous," Arnook intoned to the crowd of warriors gathered before him, "It will require great skill and courage. It will require sacrifice. You must ask yourself…am I up for the task? Am I ready?"

Arnook surveyed the surfeit of men before him, carefully studying their somber countenances. Flanked by his daughter and Sokka on his left side and two of his closest aides on his right, a ceremonial bowl which held the sacred anointing ink blessed by the Ocean and Moon Spirits themselves pressed between his hands, Arnook was acutely aware of the monumental undertaking ahead of them all. With the ink within that bowl he would mark the men who came forward and, in doing so; he would rewrite the very course of their lives.

"Some of you will be hailed as heroes amongst your fellow Tribesmen," Arnook went on gravely, "And some of you will be commemorated as martyrs. However, _all_ of you will be remembered as _warriors_. If this is acceptable to you, come forward now and receive your mark from me."

In unison, every man present rose to their feet and began to form a line in front of Arnook, each one prepared to face their individual destinies. Sokka, too, started to step forward, but when he did, Yue forgot that she was to be poised and silent. She hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Your father needs as much help as he can get," he replied in a low tone, painfully aware of the crowd pressed around them.

Yue, too, was conscious of keeping up appearances, but she was obviously distressed by his response. For a minute, she completely disregarded the circumstances and burst out, "That doesn't mean you have to do it!"

Sokka shushed her gently before answering. "It means _exactly_ that."

"You heard my father, Sokka! This mission will be dangerous," Yue expressed as discreetly as she could, "What if you don't come back?"

He regarded her for a long time without reply before finally lifting his shoulders in an apathetic shrug. "I'm willing to take that chance," he murmured.

However, as he tried to sidle past her, Yue caught hold of his sleeve. Though subtle, her hold was impossibly tight, white-knuckled in its desperation. Their eyes collided in a telling stare. "If…if this is about last night…" she began thickly, "You know it's not because I don't have feelings for you, Sokka. But I have a responsibility, to my father and to my people. I'm trying to do my duty."

Sokka gently, but firmly tugged his arm from her grasp, full of regret and respect at her reply. "Then you should understand my decision, Yue," he whispered sadly, "I'm trying to do my duty as well." When he stepped forward to receive his mark, Yue made no further attempts to stop him. Instead, she averted her face completely as he went to stand before her father, silent tears tracking her flawless cheeks.

****

Little more than thirty miles from landfall, Zhao watched tentacles of white mist roll over the surface of the water like slow, creeping vines and smiled. "It seems our presence here has been detected," he observed calmly. He snapped to a nearby crewman. "Alert the other ships. Tell them to prepare for attack."

However, his general serenity over the matter was not shared by his second in command. The thought of engaging Waterbenders on their own turf seemed like a disastrous and foolhardy decision in his opinion. "Sir," he addressed Zhao carefully, "should we be concerned? We're on the open sea, after all. Their element is all around us, not to mention that there's to be a full moon to—,"

"—Are you doubting my ability to succeed in this mission, Commander?" Zhao interrupted in a silky tone.

The commander gulped. "Of course not, sir."

"Good," Zhao replied after a deeply penetrating stare. "We have traveled hundreds of miles to bring the Northern Water Tribe to its knees. We will not leave…we will not _stop_ until that task has been completed. Do you understand me, Commander?"

"B-But the m-moon…" the commander stumbled, "With all due respect, we'll be demolished."

"Don't you concern yourself with the moon, Commander," Zhao said, "I have things well in hand."

"Of course, sir. Yes, sir," the commander mumbled respectfully, though it was impossible to ignore the thickening mist gathering around them. In gradual stages, the dense fog began to swallow up the fleet, seriously impairing visibility. It was growing increasing difficult even to see the neighboring ship. The Commander regarded Admiral Zhao with an anxious glance. "Should we be concerned about that?" he asked nervously.

"Not at all," Zhao returned. "We know they're going to attack. We need only be ready for them."

Mere moments after he made the statement, a stiff creaking began to sound beneath the ships and, very slowly, the slicing speed of the advancing ships was stopped completely. "What's going on?" the commander demanded of the nearest officer. "Why have we stopped?"

"I don't know, sir," the officer replied diffidently, "The ship seems to be…ah…stuck!"

"Stuck?" the commander parroted dubiously.

"Stuck," Zhao confirmed without a hint of concern, "In ice, no doubt. I hope you're ready, Commander."

Almost the instant he voiced the words, the low hiss of a multitude of grappling hooks sizzled through the fog, punctuated by the telltale clank of metal embedding into the wood on the ship's starboard side. For a moment, there was an eerie pause of complete tranquility, the settling of a peculiar silence before the deck of Zhao's ship exploded with deafening war cries. Water Tribe warriors swarmed the deck. Similar scenes played out on neighboring ships, with most of the Fire Nation crewman caught unawares because they were too busy trying to discover the reason their vessels had stopped moving.

Admiral Zhao, however, was not caught unaware and the deck of his ship became a full blown battleground as his crewman stood ready to meet enemy assault. Above the grunts and growls, he gave the command to open fire. Moments later, a hail of heavy fire boulders went barreling straight for the northern gates. Several other ships followed his lead. Flaming chunks of earth crushed snow and ice, scattering the Waterbenders who were protecting the wall. While they scrambled to keep the Firebenders from breaching the city, Zhao and his crew fought to maintain control of his ship.

Below them, a multitude of Fire Nation soldiers had began pouring from the bowels of their crafts to engage the Water Tribe warriors and Waterbenders waiting there on the ice. The sudden influx of Firebenders alarmed Sokka. He was momentarily caught off guard, having expected, like his comrades, that the battle would be primarily confined to the ships' decks. They had anticipated facing off with stragglers, but not with an entire battalion. The raids on Sokka's village paled in comparison to what he faced right then. Yet, despite his fear, he remained undaunted. Adrenaline racing, he ran forward with the throng of his fellow warriors, club at the ready.

Zuko flew on Appa's back, high above the combat taking place on the decks and the ice surface. From his vantage point, he could clearly see that the Fire Nation had already managed to create sizable chunks in the outer wall. In addition, the impetus behind the steel heavy steamers was beginning to crack the ice that imprisoned them. It broke off in large chunks, upsetting the balance of the men who fought atop of it. The hulls of a few ships were breached by the icy shards, but in their foundering they laid a path for their sister ships to gain freedom. Recognizing the potential threat in the advancing fleet, Zuko knew he needed to disable the ships' fire power.

Under the cover of thick fog, he and Appa took them one by one, skirting through the chaos on deck to sabotage the catapults and render them useless. Some he dismantled completely and others he merely damaged, so that, rather than hitting the desired target, sister ships found themselves under friendly fire instead. As he did his dirty work, Appa put his tail to work, blowing off all who attempted to impede him. Yet, after hindering more than a dozen ships, Zuko hadn't even made a small dent in the Fire Nation fleet. Furthermore, he was gradually becoming exhausted with his efforts, not only from the work involved in taking apart the heavy machinery, but also from having to fight for his life as he did it.

He took to the air again, scanning through the smoke and fog for a glimpse of Sokka. A few minutes later he managed to spot him, locked in serious combat with a Firebender. Zuko gave his bison the order to fly back to the city and then glided down towards Sokka. Upon landing, he struck out a gust of wind to knock back the Firebender with whom his friend had been grappling.

"I had that under control, you know," Sokka said crossly.

Zuko ignored his surliness to address more pressing issues. "We have a problem," he told Sokka, "The Firebenders are gaining momentum!" Their conversation was stilted, punctuated by counter moves and defensive maneuvering. "The outer wall has been breached and the ships have already started to break out of the ice."

"What should we do?"

"Tell everyone to fall back to the wall!" Zuko said. "We have to do everything we can to keep the Fire Nation from breaking it down completely!"

****

Once their defenses were concentrated on shore, Pakku's Waterbenders formed a united effort to bend back the incoming tide, so that the sea flowed out instead of rolling in. The task was grueling, especially because they were battling the very force of nature, but their efforts paid off in holding the Fire Nation at bay. Their heavy ships were pitched violently on the churning waters so that most of the Fire Nation's attention was preoccupied with staying afloat rather than attacking the Northern Water Tribe.

By dusk, more than fifty Fire Nation vessels had been disabled or sunk altogether. While there were gaping holes in the outer wall of the Water Tribe's gates, it still stood and what damage had been inflicted was already being repaired and refortified by Katara and her fellow Waterbenders. With the approaching moonlight, their bending was heightened and strengthened and there was little doubt they would crush the Firebenders completely if the attack continued.

Aboard his ship, which was limping along, but still seaworthy, Zhao calmly gave the order to ceasefire. "Moonlight will be upon us soon," he told his commander, "We will halt our assault…for now."

"Shall I inform the men that we shall resume at daybreak?" the commander asked.

"Yes," Zhao granted, "For now."

The commander's brows furrowed. "For now?"

"When the time comes to attack again, you'll know it," Zhao told him.

"I don't understand."

"You will," the Admiral promised. "Come back to me after you've completed your orders. There are arrangements to be made."

"What kind of arrangements?" the commander asked suspiciously.

Zhao's mouth stretched into a contented smile. "You're going to help me cross over into enemy territory."

****

"Sokka!" Yue threw her arms about his neck, seemingly impervious to her father who was standing less than three feet away or the congregated men who stood before him.

Fortunately, Chief Arnook was too preoccupied with defending himself to Zuko to notice how his daughter fell all over the Southern Water Tribe warrior with grateful hugs and kisses. "It is not our way!" Arnook argued loudly, "That is how the Fire Nation does things. Attacking them now would make us no better than they were for attacking us!"

"Does it really have to come down to a matter of honor and battle etiquette?" Zuko cried. "This is the _Fire Nation_! They've terrorized the entire world…destroyed my people, destroyed your sister tribe! Have you forgotten? They deserve no mercy!" Chief Arnook shook his head at the reasoning, but Zuko pressed on in spite of the Water Tribe chief's disagreement. "The moon gives you unbelievable strength. At least a fourth of the Firelord's force is sitting less than 20 miles from your shores. You could destroy them all and end the threat towards your people tonight!"

"They've called a ceasefire," Chief Arnook reminded him patiently, "We won't attack them when they've laid down arms."

"But _they_ attacked _you_ first!" Zuko reasoned, "You have no obligation to treat them with honor when they have behaved _dishonorably_!"

"You make a valid argument," Arnook acknowledged quietly, "And don't think for a moment that I don't feel as you do, that it hasn't crossed my mind to finish them off as they sit out there, trespassing on our waters and plotting to destroy us. I _have_ thought of it. I know what they're aim is, just as I know why they called the ceasefire…because they knew we would crush them otherwise. But the fact cannot be ignored…they laid down arms. If I were to ignore that, I would be doing what _they_ have done all these years. I would become the thing I despise and there is no victory in that, Avatar Zuko."

Though Zuko had heard the argument before, especially pertaining to himself, he deliberately closed his ears to it. He was frustrated that so many opportunities could arise to destroy the Fire Nation and yet no one seemed willing to do what needed to be done. If there were some way for Zuko to summon forth the Avatar Spirit at will so that he could annihilate the Fire Nation once and for all, he would not hesitate. He would obliterate them all…and without regret.

Arnook easily read the young man's dark thoughts in the flickering emotions that played across his countenance. He placed a reassuring hand on Zuko's shoulder. "You are still young and haven't yet learned that not everything is black and white…but you will." When Zuko failed to acknowledge a word he said, the chief emitted a heavy sigh and turned to address the throng of warriors and Waterbenders waiting to hear him speak. "We will rest tonight," he told them all, "and tomorrow we will fight another day." A cheer rose up amongst the warriors before they all dispersed to catch a good night's rest for the next morning.

Zuko bounced a frustrated glance between Chief Arnook's retreating back and the silent ships floating on the water just outside the city. He clenched his teeth, his jaw knotting with frustration and anger. Sensing the powder keg of emotions simmering beneath the surface, Katara placed a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"Chief Arnook is right, you know?" she whispered softly, "What's the use of winning if you lose yourself and what you stand for in the process?"

"Why does it matter?" Zuko grated harshly, jerking from beneath her touch. "If you lose yourself…if you become unrecognizable, isn't it worth it to end this war?" He released a low, dissatisfied growl before whipping to face Katara, Sokka and Yue with an imploring stare. "What is wrong with all of you? Has everyone forgotten who we're dealing with here? This is the _Fire Nation_! They don't care about etiquette or honor! They won't acknowledge the courtesy that's been paid to them tonight. Tomorrow your mercy will be forgotten and they will demolish your homes!

"My people lived by Chief Arnook's philosophy and they're gone," he recounted softly, "Aang lived by that philosophy too…and he's gone. Do you guys really want to stand here and watch the same thing happen to the Northern Water Tribe?"

"What do you want us to do, Zuko?" Sokka asked, torn between agreeing with his friend's sentiments and questioning his 'by any means necessary' methods.

"Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way!" Zuko burst out. "We should strike now while we have the opportunity!"

"Zuko," Yue interrupted gently, "all we have left is our honor. The Fire Nation has stolen everything else. Nothing is as it once was. But who we are as individuals, what makes us good people…those things still remain. And _no one_ can destroy that. The Fire Nation can't destroy that unless we let them."

"Great," Zuko replied glumly, "You'll die with honor then."

Katara automatically started after him as he turned to walk away, but Sokka halted her efforts. "Let him go," he advised, "He needs to sort it out for himself."

"He's hurting, Sokka," Katara argued, "We shouldn't just let him go off alone!"

"You know Zuko," he replied, "He needs to be by himself. If you go after him now, you'll make it worse. Stop hovering, Katara. Let him do it on his own."

"Fine," she huffed, snapping her arm from his grasp, "Whatever."

Sokka watched her leave with a despondent shake of his head, grumbling under his breath, "Wow, that went well."

"It can't be easy for you," Yue murmured sympathetically, "being stuck in the middle. I didn't realize the Avatar was so conflicted and in so much pain."

"Yeah, he is," Sokka confirmed thickly. All too soon, however, he remembered the circumstances between them and his self-protective wall immediately went up. "It's nothing for you to concern yourself with, Yue."

"Sokka, don't do that!" she entreated when he turned away with the apparent intention of going after his sister. "Just because everything is so…so confusing doesn't mean I stopped caring about you, because I didn't!"

"It doesn't matter," he dismissed with a sigh. "You made your choice and I made mine."

"What was I supposed to do?" Yue cried. "Leave my people? They need me!"

"Yue, your father is more than capable," Sokka argued.

"And if Katara was more than capable of taking care of the Avatar, would you stay behind to be with me?" she countered. Not surprisingly, he was left without an answer to that, but Yue felt no satisfaction in being right. "You see?" she murmured, "We're not so different."

"I know we're not," he choked, "That's why it hurts. To feel the way I feel about you, to know we can never be together, but even worse…to know you'll be with someone else…"

"I won't," Yue refuted hoarsely.

"What?"

"He…he was killed in action this afternoon," she clarified stiffly, "It's probably the shortest engagement on record." She closed her eyes, swallowing her teary, ironic laugh. "It was so awful because, when my father told me, all I could feel was…relief. A man was dead and I was _relieved…_because I didn't have to marry him…because it wasn't you who had died, Sokka—,"

She didn't even finish the sentence before he was cradling her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. Yue kissed him back, her salty tears meandering between their lips and turning the kiss bittersweet. "This changes everything," Sokka breathed emphatically, "Now there's nothing to keep us apart, Yue…now we can be together."

Yue allowed herself all consuming joy of being held in his arms before she shrugged out of his embrace completely. "This changes nothing," she whispered. "Many men were lost in my tribe today. My people need me. I still have an obligation to them."

"And what about me?" Sokka wondered, "What's your obligation to me?"

With his anguished question, Yue lost the battle to keep her tears at bay. "Do you know what it feels like to have your heart torn in two?" she asked Sokka. "Do you know what it feels like to choose between duty and desire? No matter what choice I make, it's the wrong one."

"What do you want from me, Yue?"

"Walk away from me, Sokka," she said, "because I'm not sure I can walk away from you." He lingered, making it obvious that her request was tearing him to emotional pieces. "Please," she begged.

With a guttural moan of pain, he turned to walk away quickly, retreating into the night, swallowed by the falling snow. However, Yue had little time to mourn his departure. No sooner had her tears begun to fall than a hand suddenly clamped hard over her mouth, stifling her startled screams. She struggled, but to no avail, finding herself manacled in her captor's iron grip.

"Maybe you should have tried to walk away," Zhao whispered in her ear, "It might have worked out better for you, Princess."


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**A/N: I know everyone is getting antsy about Aang. (The Aang-fangirl in me loves this, lol.) I promise he'll make an appearance soon. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Zuko walked and walked, seemingly without direction, simply propelled by the need to get away not only from his friends but from himself. He wanted to escape outside his own mind for just a little while. He wanted to remember what it was like to be happy. Once upon a time, he had been happy. He had smiled and even laughed. Zuko could not remember the last time he'd done either and really _felt_ the joy that was supposed to propel those smiles and laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt _anything_ other than all consuming rage and hatred.

Of course, he considered, he did have plenty of reason to be eaten up with both emotions these days. An impossible weight had been placed on his shoulders. In six months' time he would have had to master all four elements while fighting for his survival along the way and without the wise and desperately needed mentorship of his beloved Gyatso. While in many ways, the love and support Gyatso had provided for him, had been transferred into the love and support he received from Sokka and Katara, it wasn't the same. Perhaps because Zuko knew that, while his mentor had age and experience on his side, his newfound friends were kids and flying blind just as he was. Furthermore, though Zuko had never doubted Gyatso's love for him, he did find himself questioning Sokka and Katara's motives from time to time.

That was another thing. When had it become so difficult for him to trust people? When had he stopped looking for the inherent good in them? He hadn't always been so jaded and aloof. While he had never been what people would describe as cheerful, he also hadn't been unceasingly gloomy either. He had enjoyed life. He had enjoyed the people around him. And, despite his difficulty with airbending, he had always been a diligent student of his culture. He had taken great pride in his nation and their teachings.

Yet, what felt to Zuko like only a few weeks later, he found himself questioning every tenet on which he'd been raised. That realization alone was shaking him to his core. There had been a time when Zuko had regarded those life lessons as nothing less than absolutes. Now he didn't know what to believe. Now everything was twisted and ugly, a stark contrast from the world in which he'd been raised, and Zuko felt as if he were being made ugly and twisted right along with it.

He needed to find his balance again and so he kept walking, hoping the answer would come to him…_praying_ for the answers. Eventually, he came to an unlikely place, a curious oasis situated in the center of miles and miles of frozen tundra. Zuko frowned as he visually drank in his surroundings, unable to recall how he'd even come to be there, yet knowing instinctively it was the place he needed to be.

Although he had never seen anything in the North Pole remotely like the Eden-like garden sprawled before him, Zuko felt a pull towards the place, a vague sense of recognition. He drifted forward, astonished by the marked change in temperature as well as his surprisingly verdant surroundings. The area was an anomaly, but Zuko felt at home in the environment nonetheless. For the first time in a very long while, he felt at peace. He let the feeling pervade his body and saturate his senses. He let himself rest.

In preparation for meditation, Zuko folded himself down before a small pond at the center of the oasis, home to two rather peculiar looking koi fish, one black and one white. He watched as they circled the pond, almost in tandem, each one chasing the other's tale in an endless, swirling dance. As he did, Zuko felt a strange, unnamed kinship with the fish…as if he knew them…as if _they _knew him. Almost the second the thought occurred to him, he dismissed it as ridiculous.

Shaking off the inexplicable feeling altogether, he closed his eyes and breathed deep, hoping to achieve a meditative trance. Perhaps, if he could clear his mind, if he could remember _why_ the teachings from his childhood had been so beneficial, he could rise above his anger and know the right thing to do. However, he quickly found that he could not relax or concentrate enough to reach the calm axis he sought. When he opened his eyes again, Zuko discovered the reason why: Katara was seated right beside him.

"Sokka said I shouldn't come after you," she confessed bluntly.

"And yet you did." There was no censure in his tone, only wry observation.

"Yeah, I did," she confirmed without a hint of penitence. "I thought you needed me, Zuko, and so I followed you…I don't care if you are mad at me right now."

He expelled a heavy sigh, shoulders stooped. "I'm not mad at you, Katara."

"Really?" she snorted. "You do a fair impression of it."

"I'm mad at myself," he clarified in a rare moment of candor, "This whole time I've hoped that coming here and learning to waterbend would fix everything. My world would make sense again and I would finally stop hurting. I thought I would stop being so angry all the time, but I'm angrier than ever. Everything I see and everything I experience just makes me _hate_ them so much more. And I try not to. I tell myself that I should let it go and I know it's eating away at me, but I can't let it go."

Katara didn't speak at first. It was the most Zuko had ever revealed about his internal conflict and she was terrified of saying or doing something that would cause him to retreat back inside himself. As reticent as he was, Katara knew he had to be in a great deal of pain to reveal what he had. She wanted to handle the matter delicately as she recognized that Zuko's emotions were equally delicate. One wrong word could cause him to shut down on her permanently and that was the last thing Katara wanted.

Unfortunately, the silence Katara used as a means for collecting her thoughts was quickly misconstrued by Zuko as disapproval and judgment. Katara's worst fear came to fruition even as she was trying so hard to prevent it from happening. Zuko closed off from her instantly. "Forget I said anything," he grunted, "I don't know why I expected you to understand."

"No, Zuko—,"

"Don't!" he interrupted sharply, "I know you feel just the same as Chief Arnook and Sokka and all the rest of them. As usual, I'm alone in this…just like I always have been."

"That is not true at all."

She started to list for him all the innumerable ways he was wrong when a sudden scream pierced the air, scattering her train of thought and shattering the tranquility of the oasis. Startled, Zuko and Katara glanced up to find Admiral Zhao dragging a struggling and terrified Yue in with him. They hardly had time to process their shock over his presence because they were already scrambling to their feet, falling automatically into defensive stances.

"This is bold, Zhao," Zuko sneered, "Even for you."

The Admiral hardly took Zuko's words as an insult. "I'm a bold man," he said.

Katara quickly scanned for a way to disable Zhao without harming Yue, but a means to do so did not make itself readily available. "Yue, are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.

"Not hurt!" the terrified princess called back, "Just don't do anything to set him off. I…I don't think he's stable!"

"That's not a very nice thing to say at all," Admiral Zhao chastised her.

In an impulsive moment, Katara started to bend up ice and snow over Zhao's boots in an attempt to mobilize him, but the frosty tendrils hadn't even begun creeping over the tops of his boots before he warned, "I wouldn't try it. Are you really going to take a chance at attacking me?" He nodded deliberately towards a whimpering Yue. "She'll be dead before she hits the ground, I promise you."

"Why are you doing this? What do you want now, Zhao?" Katara spat.

"To go fishing, little girl," he said with a wide smile as he gradually and carefully advanced towards the koi pond, careful to haul Yue along as his hostage, "To go fishing."

"What?" Zuko hissed, only to shake off the outlandish reply a second later to order, "Let her go! You're in the middle of the Northern Water Tribe and you just took their princess hostage. You won't make it out of here alive!"

Zhao's response to that was a confident smirk. "We'll see about that, Avatar." He produced a burlap bag from inside the breast piece of his uniform and, while maintaining a brutal hold on Yue, stooped down and scooped the white koi fish from the pond and into the sack.

The moment he did that, Zuko felt incredibly sick. He fought against the urge to pass out as the moonlit darkness gradually turned blood red. Yue, too, felt the effects and sagged ineffectually against Zhao, as if sapped of all her energy. Zhao shoved her away so that she landed in a boneless heap at Zuko and Katara's feet. Beyond the oasis, the ominous rumble of the renewed firebending attack could be heard, mingled with the sounds of crumbling walls and terrified screaming.

"What did you do?" Katara snarled at the Fire Nation Admiral.

"I've captured the Moon Spirit," Zhao told her, "and now I'm going to destroy it."

Without warning, the truth of Zhao's words assaulted Zuko in a series of blinding flashes. He could see the entire history unfold before his eyes; the reason the fish circled one another in the water as they did…an age old dance they had been performing for eons. It dawned on Zuko then why he'd felt the instant kinship with the fish…because they _weren't_ ordinary fish. They were Yin and Yang, Tui and La, push and pull, the balance of all things. They were the Ocean and Moon spirits in mortal form.

"It's true!" Zuko burst out, "He's telling the truth. The koi are the Ocean and Moon spirits!"

"Thank you for confirming it, Avatar."

"You can't do this!" Yue protested as she struggled to her feet, "The Moon Spirit shines on _all_ of us. If you destroy it, you won't just be hurting the Northern Water Tribe…you'll be hurting yourself as well."

Zhao responded to that with an amused chuckle. "How very sentimental, Princess," he said, "Regrettably for you, I am not a sentimental man."

"No!" Zuko screamed as Zhao raised his fist to make the killing blow, "Don't do it, Zhao! Whatever you do that that spirit I will unleash on you tenfold! I promise you that! _Let it go_!"

"I'm done taking orders and I especially won't tolerate them from a _child_!" Zhao grated as he pulled back his fiery fist and slammed it into the wriggling bag with all his might.

Zuko's airbending attack pummeled into his mid-section one second later with enough force to crack several of his ribs and momentarily rob him of breath. The bag flew free from his grasp as he collided with the hard ground. The world around him faded from crimson to gray. It was then that Zhao began to feel the effects of what he had done. In addition to the searing pain spreading through his chest, a curious unsteadiness also settled in his limbs. He felt light-headed and flush and had marked difficulty collecting himself. It was as if he'd been submerged in hot sludge. His every movement was lethargic and uncoordinated. Alarmed and aware of his precarious circumstances, Zhao wisely took advantage of the Avatar and his friends' preoccupation with the fallen koi fish to gather himself up on shaky legs and make a quiet retreat.

"No, no, no, no," Yue lamented as she cradled the dead fish in her hands, "This can't be happening…this can't be happening…"

Katara turned to direct a hateful glance towards Zhao, only to discover the spot where Zuko had left him writhing, empty. "That coward! He ran away," she spat out in disgust.

"He won't get far," Zuko promised.

"But what are we supposed to do now, Zuko?" Katara fretted, "The moon is gone. I can't bend and I don't know if anyone else can. It's over now. We lost."

"No," he answered, rising to his feet as the unearthly white glow invaded his body. When he spoke again, it was in the disembodied voice of a thousand Avatars past. "It's not over."

Katara watched with stunned eyes as Zuko stepped into the middle of the pond. Rather than sinking beneath the surface, he hovered above it, hands clasped, the shimmering light from his body beginning to permeate the water beneath his feet. He stood there, suspended for the briefest of seconds, before he was submerged completely. Katara gasped, confused and frightened when she could detect no sign of Zuko beneath the still waters.

And then a strange blue glow began to spread throughout the oasis chamber, originating from the pond itself. The illuminated water flowed from the pool like something alive, bringing a radiant shine to the gloomy, gray darkness that surrounded them. There was no sign of Zuko, but somehow Katara knew instinctively that he was a part of the blue-veined flow that meandered from the spirit oasis.

She was still staring after it when the sudden screaming of her name caught her attention. Katara glanced up just as Sokka came running towards her. "Where have you been?" he snapped. The impatience in his tone was tempered by the relieved way he yanked her into his arms and held her tight. "The city is under attack and the _moon_ just disappeared from the sky! Firebenders are everywhere! It's crazy out there! I didn't know what had happened to you! I was worried sick!"

In contrast with his hysteria, however, Katara was strangely calm. "We know all about it," she told him, gesturing to where Yue continued to mourn over the dead koi fish. "Zhao was just here. He…he destroyed the Moon Spirit."

Alarmed, not only by what Katara was telling him, but by Yue's almost inconsolable reaction, Sokka immediately went to her and placed his arms around her shaking shoulders. She turned into his chest and wept softly. "Tell me what happened," he demanded of Katara over Yue's shoulder.

"Zuko and I were here talking when all of a sudden we heard a scream," Katara recounted. "When we looked up, Zhao was there and he had Yue."

"What do you mean 'he had Yue?'" Sokka exploded, anger flaring.

Yue finally lifted her face from the crook of Sokka's neck. "He grabbed me after you and I talked," she explained brokenly, "He wanted me to bring him here to the Spirit Oasis. He knew who I was. I get the impression he'd been planning this for a while. When I refused to help him, he…he threatened to hurt you, Sokka."

"I never should have left you alone," Sokka replied mournfully.

"I don't blame you," Yue whispered, "You only did what I asked."

"I don't think Zhao wanted to hurt her," Katara interjected carefully, "Not that his motives matter in the long run. He wanted to get to the fish in the pond because he knew they were the Ocean and Moon spirits. I don't understand everything, but when Zhao killed that fish, the whole world went gray."

It was then Sokka became aware of another conspicuous absence. "Where's Zuko?" he asked with escalating dread.

"He disappeared into the pond," Katara said. "I…I think he might be trying to stop the Fire Nation's advance, but it doesn't matter anymore. Our benders won't be able to mount a defense against them. The moon is gone. I don't know if there's any hope for us now."

"There's hope, Katara," Yue uttered softly, "There's always hope." Sokka regarded her with a quizzical look and whispered her name. "When I was a baby," she began softly, "I was very sick, and I didn't cry. I was born as if asleep. The healers in my tribe told my parents to prepare for my death.

"My mother was inconsolable," Yue went on, "And my father could not accept it. He pleaded with the Moon Spirit to spare my life. That night he and my mother brought me here and placed me in the pond. My hair turned white and my eyes opened and my father knew then that his prayers had been answered. That is why they named me Yue…for the moon."

"I don't understand," Sokka whispered.

"The Moon Spirit gave me life," Yue told him, "And now the time has come for me to give it back."

Her implication dawned on Sokka a mere second later and he was shaking his head in refusal the instant it did. "No," he protested stridently, "You don't have to do that! This isn't the way!"

"It is, Sokka," Yue insisted sadly, "I think I've always known."

"No…" he sobbed.

Katara placed a comforting hand on his forearm. "Sokka, you have to let her do this," she said, "You know it." Though Sokka recognized the validity of their argument, he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. "What if it were you?" his sister pressed stubbornly. "Would you want Yue to stand in your way? Would you want anyone?"

Sokka didn't answer for a long time and, when he did, his words were prefaced by a painful swallow. "No," he whispered hoarsely, "No, I wouldn't." With a grieved sigh, he scooted aside and let Yue do what she felt she had to.

With a shuddering sigh, Yue removed her mittens and laid her bare hands against the gaping gash in the fish's flank. Almost the instant she touched it, a pulsing glow began to radiate from her hands, pumping into the koi fish, infusing it with new life. Its tailfin twitched once, twice before it flopped to surprising life and left back into the pond with a soft splash. As it began its spherical dance with the black koi fish still present, Yue slumped over with a small sigh.

Whispering her name almost fearfully, Sokka eased her limp body into his lap. He swallowed back his tears, sobbing her name over and over, only to receive no response at all. He cradled her closer, wanting to cling to the last part of her he could hold onto, but even that faded away. Yue's body brightened with an unearthly light before fading from existence altogether, leaving Sokka's arms empty and his soul bereft.

"This wasn't what I imagined for us."

Sokka glanced up to find the apparition of his lost love floating in front of him, her lips curved in a bittersweet smile. "I don't know how to say goodbye to you," he said.

"Then don't say goodbye," she whispered back, bending forward to cradle his face in her hands. She turned his face up to hers for a breathless kiss, a culmination of all the things she felt for him, but had never voiced aloud. "I'll always be with you, Sokka."

He tried to catch hold of the gossamer tendrils of light that twirled about her body as she faded from view, but in the end he was left with nothing save the filtering moonlight and silence.

****

The Ocean Spirit was a wrathful one.

Melded with Zuko and harnessing the collective power of all the past Avatars with his own awesome will to command the ocean's tossing waves, he poured his brilliance into the intricate canals that threaded through the citadel, swallowing up any enemy that stood in his way. They were swept away in the tide of his fury, left inert in the wake of his grief. As he flowed through the city, bringing salvation along with devastation, Waterbenders and warriors bowed to him in humble respect. Firebenders were crushed without mercy.

In an ebbing wave of water and energy, he progressed towards the sea, pausing briefly to deposit Zuko onto a nearby bridge, determined to finish the remainder of the destruction on his own. Though the moon once again shone full and bright, he was not finished, would not be finished until they had all been destroyed. Zuko stood on the bridge and watched as the large, towering wave cropped up outside the broken city gates and formed a giant fish-like creature unlike anything he'd ever seen. With claw-like hands, it laid waste to the remaining Fire Nation ships, crashing them about on the waves like miniature toys. As ship after ship sank beneath the pitching black waters, Zuko could feel little more than grim satisfaction.

"No…" He turned aside to find Zhao limping from the shadows, hand cradled about his mid section, and staring up at the night sky in disbelief. "It can't be."

"But it is," Zuko whispered, capturing the Admiral's startled attention. "I'm going to finish you now," he announced with deadly calm.

Zhao sneered at him. "You don't have the guts," he taunted.

He had barely finished the sentence before Zuko turned up his hand and closed it into a tight fist, effectively closing off the flow of oxygen through Zhao's lungs. Zuko slowly bent it from his body, gradually starving him of precious air. As the Fire Nation Admiral struggled for oxygen, Zuko slowly approached him, his expression cold with satisfaction.

"It's a funny thing," he remarked casually as if he weren't choking the life out of a man at that very moment, "Before I was frozen, I was only moderately good at airbending. No matter how hard I tried or how much I applied myself, something always seemed to hold me back…" Zhao fell to his knees, alternately clawing at his throat for air and at Zuko for mercy. Zuko, however, seemed impervious to his agony. He went on like he was unaware of Zhao's predicament altogether. "…But I've noticed something curious lately. It seems the angrier I become, the more powerful my bending becomes. I might well be on the verge of becoming a master…" He stuck his face within inches of Zhao's. "…It's almost as if my hatred for you is _driving_ me."

Zhao collapsed at his feet, his face fairly purple with anoxia and the sight of his prone from was just what Zuko needed to gain full realization of his actions. Abruptly, the haze of his fury cleared and, mere seconds before Zhao lost complete consciousness, Zuko pulled back, releasing the flow of oxygen to the Admiral's lungs and allowing it to flow naturally once more. It was the closest he'd ever come to killing someone directly. The incident left Zuko shaken and horrified. He turned away from the gasping, sputtering man and gripped the icy edge of the bridge, as sickened with himself as he was with Zhao.

He had been so close to ending Zhao's life, but what was more alarming was…it had felt _good_. Watching Zhao suffer, watching him beg soundlessly for life had satisfied Zuko like nothing else. Numerous times he had wondered if his own people had suffered in the raids, had they begged for their lives and the lives of the countless children that had resided with them? Zuko imagined that they had, but their pleading had fallen on deaf ears, just as Zhao's pleading had gone unheard by him. It was a rather twisted sense of justice.

Based on that logic, Zuko might have very well gone through with the act too, if he hadn't known in his heart that Gyatso would have been disappointed in him. He could almost hear his mentor whispering in his ear, telling him that taking Zhao's life would not restore his. And Zuko knew that. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, as much as he knew that nothing would ever alleviate the horrible pain he lived with every, single day…he knew that killing Zhao would bring him no long-term satisfaction and so… He let him go…out of respect for Gyatso's memory, out of his desperate need to maintain that last part of himself that was still connected to the old Airbender.

"I knew you couldn't go through with it," Zhao choked from behind him, "You…you're too weak! Just like the rest of your people! Weak and pathetic!"

Almost instantly, Zuko forgot his earlier resolve to spare the man's life and he pivoted on his heel, prepared to show Zhao just how "pathetic" he could be, but he never had the chance to execute the blow. Suddenly, the water beneath the bridge began to emanate an incandescent blue and a watery hand formed up from its depth. It grabbed hold of Admiral Zhao as he struggled to his feet, taking the Fire Nation soldier by surprise. Zuko could clearly read the panic in Zhao's eyes as the Ocean Spirit began taking him down into the chilly depths of the water. But pride did not permit him to reach out to Zuko and beg for aid and hatred did not permit Zuko to offer it. He watched as Zhao slid beneath the surface of the water and felt nothing at all.

His heart had become a stone.

****

When the sun rose the following morning the full devastation of the previous night's carnage was revealed. Zuko stood on what was left of the Northern Water Tribe's crumbling outer wall and surveyed the broken ships that littered the harbor beyond. Katara's approach from behind him was silent, but he sensed her presence nonetheless.

"Yue's dead," she informed him softly.

"I'm not surprised," came Zuko's dispassionate response, "Death and destruction is what I bring…wherever I go."

"Zuko, this was a victory," Katara told him. "The Fire Nation has been driven from these shores. I doubt they'll ever return." When he failed to react to that, she added, "Master Pakku has decided to sail to the Southern Water Tribe and help replenish the Waterbenders there. We're rebuilding, Zuko. Yes, it's slow and painful, but it's happening."

"And at what cost?" he wondered bitterly. "The Northern Water Tribe has been destroyed. It will take years to replenish what the Fire Nation stole from your tribe and my people…they are gone _forever_. Nothing we do will ever make it right. All that's left now is vengeance."

Katara stared at him, as saddened by his words as she was alarmed by them. "What's happened to you, Zuko?" she whispered thickly.

"I wish I could tell you, Katara," he responded cryptically.

She wanted to hug him, _needed_ to, suspecting that he needed the comfort as much as she did. But she feared his rejection, his coldness. After so much death and destruction, Katara simply could not handle it. She was aching to be held just as she was aching to hold him. Yet, Katara bravely stuffed the emotions and did her best to imitate Zuko's detached demeanor.

"I'm sure you'll want to be moving on for the Earth Kingdom as soon as possible, huh?" she began neutrally.

He nodded his confirmation. "I do."

"Good," Katara replied with a lingering look of concern. "I think Momo and Appa are way past ready to get out of here." While Appa had done his best to lend his efforts to the battle, Momo, on the other hand, had taken cover and stayed out of sight until the threat had passed. Both animals, however, were shaken up and in need of a long, quiet rest. "I'll gather our things together and then Sokka and I will meet you back here in a little bit."

As Katara started to turn away, however, Zuko called out to her. However, that wasn't what stopped Katara in her tracks. It wasn't that he'd said her name, but _how_ he'd said it. It was his trembling tone, the unspoken anguish she heard in his voice. His words were so garbled with emotion that Katara had barely recognized her own name when he said it. Whether he acknowledged it or not, Zuko was drowning in pain and Katara's heart broke for him. She regarded him with blue eyes filled with compassion.

"What is it, Zuko?" she asked softly.

In his mind's eye, Zuko could see closing the distance between them and throwing his arms around her. He knew she would hug him back. He knew he could pour all of the frustration, anger and confusion he felt into his embrace and she would absorb it all. She would comfort him. She would tell him that it would be okay.

But Zuko couldn't allow himself the indulgence. To cross the expanse separating them would mean more than simply accepting Katara's comfort. It would mean making himself vulnerable. It would mean softening his heart and laying it bare. It would mean feeling every piercing bit of the pain and grief building inside of him. Part of him yearned to do so, to simply unburden himself and start anew. But a larger part of him was determined to maintain the impregnable wall surrounding his heart, to hold onto his rage, to feed off of it in order to accomplish his ends.

Even in spite of the damage he was causing himself, Zuko could not let it go. So, instead of hugging Katara as he wanted to, he told her in a much steadier tone, "Don't be too long."

Her features flickered with disappointment before she masked the emotion altogether. Katara forced a smile. "I won't," she promised. As she glided down the façade of the wall on an icy slide, Zuko watched her disappear into the distance, mourning the part of himself that died with her departure.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"It is only a matter of time before your sister finds the Avatar."

Aang spared his father a dull, cursory glance. "Then why do you keep coming here?" he whispered faintly, "To gloat?"

"To tell you that I'm willing to forgive you," the Firelord said, "_if_ you prove to me that you want to be forgiven."

The young Fire Nation prince didn't know whether to laugh or seriously consider his father's twisted proposal. Though it galled Aang to admit it, after weeks of mistreatment and abuse, the offer was mildly seductive. It wasn't that he believed a single word that came out of his father's lying mouth, because he didn't, but there was only so much the human spirit could endure before it began to break.

Simply stated, Aang wanted out and he had nearly reached the point where he was willing to do anything to make that happen. He wanted to bask in the sun again. He wanted to be onboard his ship, leaning over the railing as he often did, watching the waves pound against the hull and feeling the spray of the salty sea over his face. He wanted to run and jump and dance and smell the fresh air. He wanted to remember what it was like not to have chains manacling his wrists and ankles. _He wanted a bath!_ Aang wondered grimly if he would ever again know what those things felt like. He wondered if he'd been forgotten.

In the early weeks of his imprisonment, he had been confident that rescue was imminent. Even if Zuko and the others weren't able to stage a rescue, his uncle, with all his numerous connections, certainly would. Though Aang was spat upon, ignored, starved and beaten almost on a daily basis, the certainty that Iroh would come had imbued him with the strength to carry on. But now that the days had converged into weeks and the weeks had nearly become a full month, Aang was beginning to lose faith. Being chained like an animal in the dark with nothing but the rats for company did much to chip away at a person's morale.

And that was _exactly_ what his father was waiting for, _that_ was the reason he continued to visit. Ozai was waiting for Aang to break, fully anticipating it. Aang was determined, even as his hope dwindled a little more every day, not to give his father the satisfaction. Even when his every movement was pain and his stomach grumbled from lack of nourishment, even when he was almost positive his friends and uncle had forgotten him, even when part of him still missed the closeness he and his father had once shared…Aang continued resolved. If it was his destiny to die in that cage, then he would die there before he ever gave Zuko up to his father. He repeated that vow to himself in an unremitting litany, even when he didn't always believe it.

In the meantime, Aang did whatever he could to keep his spirits up. To endure his squalid condition, he held on tenaciously to every good memory he had. They were numerous, so he had to pick his absolute favorites. He would close his eyes and focus on those things whenever the days became too unbearable: his mother stroking his hair at night and singing to him, moonlit dance lessons with Mai by the turtleduck pond, music night with his uncle onboard the ship, the crazy adventures with his crewmen which had always led to trouble, Momo consistently stealing Sokka's precious seal jerky, the impossible task of making Zuko laugh, the sweet softness of Katara's lips…

Presently, Aang latched onto those memories as tightly as he could and they kept him sane. They kept him from sobbing in fury as his father smirked at him through the bars of his cell. They enabled him to meet his father's gaze defiantly, even when the simple act of lifting his head leeched what meager strength he possessed.

"You know what I think?" he considered wearily, "I think you don't have much confidence in Azula. I think you're expecting her to fail you…that's why you keep coming here."

"The Avatar will destroy our way of life!" Ozai spit at him, "Doesn't that matter to you at all?"

"Not particularly. It's not _my_ way of life he'll destroy," Aang clarified, "It's _yours_."

The Firelord's eyes narrowed and Aang fully expected him to order yet another beating. He mentally prepared himself for that, but was left surprised and a little wary when Ozai switched his tactics from callous brutality to gentle cajolery instead. It was a calculated decision, born out of necessity rather than affection. Whereas beatings and mistreatment had yielded very few results in breaking Aang's resolve in the past weeks, Ozai began to wonder what a bit of kindness would do. Through trial and error, he had discovered a number of his son's vulnerabilities; especially the ones dealing with himself. As a result, Ozai was able to play on Aang's sentimental heart like an accomplished musician.

"We were friends once, you and I," the Firelord began in an almost fond tone, "I was proud of you, Aang, and you were proud of me. We had a good relationship…until your uncle filled your head with nonsense and turned you against me! Why won't you let yourself see what he's done?"

"Uncle told me the truth!" Aang fired, "Which was more than you ever did!"

"Did he?" the Firelord challenged, "Did he tell you the truth? Or was his _version_ of the truth merely an effort to mask the bitterness he felt because his younger brother had usurped his place as Firelord?"

"Uncle never wanted that anyway."

"So he wants you to think," his father countered, "And yet, he's been grooming you to mete out my destruction for three, long years. What does that tell you? He's too much of a coward to face me himself so he pits a fifteen year old boy, _my own son_, against me!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Aang's flash of indignant anger was just what the Firelord had been waiting for. He smiled, recognizing that he had found a chink in his son's armor. He decided to push further. Now that he knew he'd made inroads, Ozai was determined to focus all his attention on exploiting that crack in Aang's confidence until it became a gaping hole filled with doubt and mistrust.

"You speak so highly of Iroh, almost as if you wished _he_ was your father," the Firelord continued, "But where is he now, Aang? It seems that he's abandoned you just as your mother did."

"Shut your mouth about my mother!" Aang flared between clenched teeth. "She left _you_! She didn't leave me!"

"You're angry because you know I speak the truth," Ozai surmised.

"No!"

Aang's embittered denial only widened his smile. "You have a rather skewed view of the world, my son," Ozai murmured thoughtfully, "You extend your loyalty and respect to those who have done nothing but betray and abandon you, yet you have nothing but contempt for those who would gladly accept and love you."

"With conditions, of course," Aang scoffed bitterly.

"_Nothing_ is unconditional, Aang," his father hissed fiercely, "You're old enough to realize that now. But if you were to turn to me again, there is nothing I would hold back from you. You are my heir, _my only son_ and I miss you." Aang averted his face at the words, desperately trying to blot them out, but Ozai was relentless. "I know you hate this rift as much as I do. I know you want things to go back to what they used to be…and they can, if you let it happen." Aang said nothing, but the mutinous tears tracking his cheeks made his conflicted feelings abundantly clear. "Consider what I've told you," he coaxed, "I will come again tomorrow."

That evening the treatment Aang received from the guards was markedly improved. Under orders from his father, they were surprisingly gentle as they moved and chained him to the adjacent wall so that they could clean his cell, something that had never been done before. Afterwards, he was granted water and soap with which to bathe and served a hot meal which hadn't made him want to vomit directly after. There were no scathing remarks, no outbursts of brutality at all. He was treated as any other prisoner would have been, better in fact. At the conclusion of the evening, he was even led outside of his cell, though in chains, and allowed his first glimpse of the moonlit sky in what seemed to Aang like an eternity.

An hour later, he was escorted back inside, emotionally broken, thoroughly confused and with much to think about.

****

"There is something I want to give you, Katara."

After nearly three weeks at sea, the time had come for them to say goodbye to Master Pakku. Though Zuko's plan had been to leave directly after the siege had ended, a grief-stricken Chief Arnook had insisted otherwise. After what had befallen his precious daughter, he was reluctant to let the three teens travel after so many days of physical and emotional exhaustion. With a great deal of coaxing and even some outright demands from Pakku, Zuko had finally relented and agreed to stay. Several days later, when he, Sokka and Katara had regrouped and were refreshed enough to travel; Master Pakku made the surprising offer to take them part of the way on his schooner. For the sake of giving Appa further rest, Zuko had readily accepted.

Now they were set to part ways, with Pakku continuing on towards the South Pole while Zuko, Katara and Sokka headed for Omashu. Though he hated to admit it, Pakku was sad to see them go. In a relatively short period of time, he'd grown ridiculously fond of the audacious teens. More than that, however, he worried for them. Determined and courageous though they had proved to be, the emotion scars they bore as a result were detectable if one looked closely enough. Besides that, they still had large task ahead of them, one they would be completing primarily on their own.

But then Pakku reminded himself that Zuko and Katara had proved to be two of his most exceptional waterbending students and Sokka had shown himself to be a capable warrior and protector. Even with so much more yet to learn, they made formidable adversaries. He knew very well they could take care of themselves. Pakku was comforted by that knowledge as well as filled with nervous excitement at the prospect of seeing his beloved Kanna again. It had been too long.

Forcing himself not to dwell on it too much, Pakku concentrated on Katara. Presently, he stood before Katara and passed her an oblong-shaped amulet made of crystal and decorated with gold and silver. It radiated a low, bluish glow. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis," he explained as Katara reached out to take the amulet, "It has unique healing properties. Don't lose it."

"I won't," she promised softly, inclining forward in a respectful bow, "Thank you, Master Pakku."

He then turned to the Avatar, technically only a boy of thirteen, but already a man as a result of all he'd endured and accomplished. Pakku regarded him with a mixture of pride and sadness. "Zuko," he began solemnly, producing several scrolls from the folds of his tunic, "these will help you hone your waterbending skills." Zuko accepted the gift with a grateful nod. "I know you will study them diligently," the waterbending master praised with a faint, but fond smile, "But remember, they are no substitute for a master."

Zuko spared a glance up at Katara, who had already begun mounting Appa before he turned to regard Pakku again, promising, "I'll remember, Master Pakku."

As he turned to follow Katara's example, Sokka stepped forward when Pakku said his name. He held out his arms expectantly for his gift, but Pakku only clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Take care, son," he said. Sokka slumped off for Appa in unconcealed disappointment. But when he climbed into the saddle to find Momo waiting for him with leechie nuts and jerky, Sokka's mood was greatly improved.

"You should fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base east of here," Pakku told them, "There you will find General Fong. He will provide an escort for you to Omashu. Take care of yourself, children…and good luck." He stood on the deck and watched them as they retreated into the distance, until the clouds swallowed them entirely.

****

The journey to General Fong's military base was long and tedious and full of silence. Though the northern siege had only lasted a couple of days, Zuko, Katara and Sokka had been changed irrevocably in its wake. They were all a little wiser, a little more cautious and a lot more reserved. Katara couldn't help but think of Aang and how, in a situation like that, he'd do or say something outlandishly funny and make them forget that they were all supposed to be miserable. She smiled at the thought, one that faltered almost immediately because with it came the reminder that Aang was no longer there. She had to accept that, without him, the dynamic within their group was going to be dramatically different from that point onward.

Four hours later when the walled tower of General Fong's military base came into view, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, weary and hungry from the long trip. When they landed, they found General Fong and several of his officers waiting to greet them. It wasn't difficult to tell which one was General Fong. He was a tall, bearded man, draped in green and brown armor engraved with the insignias of his high military rank.

He spread his arms wide in welcome as Zuko with Momo perched upon his shoulder, Katara and Sokka dismounted Appa. "Avatar Zuko!" he boomed, "Brave Sokka! Mighty Katara! I am General Fong. Please allow me to extend my welcome to you."

"Thank you, General," Zuko replied graciously. "It has been a long trip for me and my friends. We were wondering if, perhaps, we could have some dinner before discussing business."

"Dinner would be great!" Sokka piped in happily.

"Well, of course," Fong agreed. "You needn't have asked, Avatar. We have prepared a feast in your honor."

"Wow, a feast," Katara whistled under her breath as she, Zuko and Sokka fell into step behind General Fong, "I think I'm going to grow to like this kind of treatment very fast."

"Not me," Zuko mumbled grumpily. "Whenever someone throws us a feast, it always ends in disaster. I don't have very high hopes for this one either."

"Well, they have food," Sokka considered, "So if I'm going to be fighting for my life in a few hours, it might as well be with a full stomach."

Quite contrary to Zuko's expectations, however, dinner proved to be a relatively quiet affair. There had been, of course, excited whispers and plenty of gaping stares as a result of Zuko's presence, but nothing collapsed, combusted and no one died so Zuko was willing to chalk the evening up to a good one. Afterwards, he, Sokka and Katara were given a private audience with General Fong. They sat together in his personal quarters, making idle chitchat over lukewarm tea. However, each person present was aware of the more serious matters they needed to discuss and it caused their conversation to become thick with unspoken tension.

As a result, General Fong set aside his cup and addressed Zuko frankly. "When the moon disappeared a few weeks ago," he began direly, "my men were very frightened. So was I. That night was terrifying. I was sure that it was a bad omen. Later, I was told a Firebender was responsible for that, an _Admiral_ no less."

"Yes. He's dead now," Zuko confirmed flatly.

"Be that as it may, I'm sure such events aren't isolated," General Fong pressed on, "The Fire Nation has proven time and time again that they have respect for little. If that is how their highly ranked officers behave, I have little hope for the soldiers who serve under them. A month ago it was a disgusting attempt to permanently blot out the moon. Who knows what outrageousness they will attempt next?"

"It's been a concern of ours as well," Zuko told him.

"The story of your incredible victory in the North has circulated throughout the Earth Kingdom," Fong said. "It has filled many with a great deal of hope, especially my own troops. We were all impressed when we heard how you singlehandedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet. I cannot imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power and at such a young age."

"I wish I could have done more," Zuko murmured, "Many brave individuals died in that siege." He and Sokka traded a brief, sorrowful glance. "It shouldn't have been that way."

"You don't wish to see any more death at the Fire Nation's hands," Fong concluded intuitively. Zuko nodded and his answer visibly pleased the general. "Neither do I," he said, "That is why I have formulated a plan that will serve to wipe out the Fire Nation once and for all. I need your help to execute it."

"What kind of plan?" Katara wondered suspiciously.

Rather than answering Katara's demand directly, General Fong turned to regard Zuko with an entreating stare. "The Fire Nation must be stopped at all costs," he declared, "Do you agree?"

"Yes, I agree."

"Then the choice is obvious. You must face the Firelord now." Despite the strident protests that went up with his statement, Fong doggedly pressed onward. "In the wake of the Northern Siege, Firelord Ozai has doubled his efforts to topple the Earth Kingdom. We are under fire in all corners of the territory and we are all that's left. Avatar, your people are no more and the Water Tribes are virtually decimated. We must do all that we can to prevent the Firelord from succeeding in world domination. He is a brutal tyrant and he must be stopped."

"We don't disagree," Sokka said, "But Zuko must master the four elements before he can face the Firelord. Right now, he only knows water and air. We've still got a ways to go." Fong scowled at the answer. "Hey, we didn't write the rules," Sokka quipped, throwing up his hands defensively, "That's just the way it is."

"But during the siege," General Fong protested, turning his earnest gaze back towards Zuko, "you manifested an incredible amount of power. You were able to take out hundreds of ships in a matter of minutes. Surely, after that, you can defeat the Firelord with little effort."

"Yes, but Zuko did all of those things when he was in the avatar state," Katara protested tartly, "And that's not something he has control over."

General Fong stroked his beard. "Yes, I am familiar with the avatar state," he said, "During that time, Avatar Zuko begins to glow and he is able to summon the combined skills of all his past lives. When in the state, he is virtually unstoppable." He regarded Katara with a triumphant stare. "Have I covered it sufficiently?"

"You've done your research," Zuko murmured.

"I had to," Fong replied gravely. "Without you, my troops would be slaughtered before we were even able to reach the Fire Nation shores. But _with_ you, we can cut a path right to the Firelord's door and no one could stand in our way! We could end this war in a matter of weeks, perhaps even less!"

"Zuko isn't interested," Katara replied flatly even before Zuko had the opportunity to make his own response. As far as she was concerned, General Fong's outlandish plan wasn't even up for discussion. She had been an eye witness to the pain and rage that preceded the Avatar State more than once and there was no way she'd be able to endure Zuko _willingly_ putting himself through that type of agony. She simply couldn't let him. "We already have a plan in place to defeat the Firelord and that's the way we're going to pursue it. I'm sorry, General Fong."

"Wait a minute," Zuko cut in a little angrily, "Don't presume to speak for me, Katara."

She gaped at him. "You can't seriously be considering this, Zuko!"

"Yeah, I am," he confirmed a little stubbornly, "It's something I've thought about even before General Fong proposed it to me today. What good is it to have all this awesome power at my fingertips if I can't use it to accomplish the one thing that _needs_ to be done? We need to end this war. How we do that is a moot point."

"I don't think it's moot at all. This isn't the way," Katara protested, "Roku said that—,"

"Roku is no longer the Avatar! I am and I have to decide what's right for myself!"

"But this isn't right," Katara argued, "Every time you're in the avatar state it's awful and frightening. You stop being you, Zuko! I don't think you should—,"

"Katara, you're not my mother, so stop acting like it!" Zuko flared suddenly, stunning everyone into silence with the startling intensity of his retort.

It was a long time before Katara could speak past the lump in her throat and, when she did, her words were garbled and hoarse with unshed tears. "I…I'm not trying to mother you," she protested weakly, "I just…I care about you so much and we've already lost so many people. I don't want to lose you too."

"This can't be about you, Katara," Zuko replied brusquely, unwilling to let her fervent words penetrate the icy shell around his heart, "And this can't be about me. It has to be about what's best for the world."

"But how are you proposing to do this?" Katara cried, "You can't control the state! It just happens!"

"And I know _why_ it happens," Zuko grated. "Every time I think about my people…how terrified they must have been that day…how confused…all the children that were slaughtered in cold blood that day… Kids that I knew…my _family_… _None_ of them were spared, Katara. The rage is always with me. I've only learned to control it."

"My grandfather once had a friend who served in the Fire Nation army during that time," General Fong related, "He confessed everything in a letter shortly before he died. He told my grandfather that Sozin ordered a simultaneous attack of the temples. No one saw it coming. Sozin decreed that _no_ _one_, not woman or child, was to be left alive. Because that Fire Nation soldier refused to participate in the genocide, he was killed. By the time my grandfather had received his letter it was too late to warn the Air Nomads. They were already gone."

"You see," Zuko hissed, hatred filling his heart with renewed fervor, "They even turn on their own! I have to do whatever I can to stop them."

"You don't want to stop them, Zuko," Katara refuted softly, "You want to punish them. Aang was right. You _do_ only want revenge."

"Aang is _dead_," Zuko reminded her brutally, "Killed by his own family. We see how far his selfless nobility took him, now don't we?"

She wanted to slap him right then, but quashed the impulse because she knew that it wouldn't help matters. There were greater issues at stake than her offended feelings. And although Katara could see she was fighting an unwinnable battle, she still made every effort to reason with Zuko. "What about your earthbending training?" she reminded him. "We're supposed to go to Omashu, remember?"

"I will be happy to serve as the Avatar's earthbending instructor," General Fong volunteered, "While my prowess doesn't nearly compare with King Bumi's, I am quite skilled."

"I appreciate your offer, General Fong," Zuko said, "and I graciously accept."

"No, no, no," Katara mumbled over and over, "This isn't how it's supposed to happen." In the back of her mind, she was aware of the promise she had made to Aang to get Zuko to Omashu so that he could train and the fact that she was failing. "Zuko, please listen to me," she pleaded, "You can't do it this way! It's wrong. I know you know that."

"Katara, stop telling me what to do!" Zuko snapped, "You're not even here for me anyway! This was all about your precious need to learn waterbending! Well, now you have and there's no reason for you to hang around anymore questioning my decisions and trying to make me second-guess myself!"

That was, perhaps, the cruelest thing he could have said to her and was what finally snapped Katara's fragile hold on her emotions. She surged to her feet, hands knotted at her sides in trembling fists. "Zuko, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. If you do this, then this is as far as I go with you," she warned him, "I won't support what you're doing. I won't stand by and watch you become a monster."

"Then don't watch," Zuko told her, "If you want to go, Katara, then go, but don't try to stop me from doing what I have to do."

Saddened by his response and repelled by the wintry severity in his tone, Katara jerked her head in a reluctant, but accepting nod. "You've made your decision then," she uttered brokenly, "Now I have to make mine."

Though Zuko was sad to see her turn her back on him, though her leaving was the last thing that he wanted, he bit down on his tongue to keep from calling her back. He couldn't do what she wanted and she couldn't support him like he needed, so they had come to an unfortunate impasse. In retrospect, Zuko supposed it was inevitable. They were too much alike to co-exist peacefully while at odds with differing opinions.

Exhaling a short, staccato sigh, Zuko turned an impassive look towards Sokka. "I suppose you agree with her," he said flatly.

"No," Sokka replied, surprising him, "Actually, I agree with you, Zuko. After what happened to my mother and Aang and then Yue…the Fire Nation _needs_ to be stopped. I don't think I can bear losing another person who's close to me and if you can prevent that… You should do what you feel you have to."

"Thank you for understanding, Sokka," Zuko whispered. "Why can't Katara?"

"Zuko, just because I understand," Sokka prefaced deliberately, "doesn't mean I can stay with you or that I think how you treated Katara just now was right. It wasn't. And, when it's all said and done, she's still my sister and my first loyalty is to her. I get why you're angry, but she's not your enemy and you treated her like she was. You were really harsh with her and it wasn't fair."

"I know," Zuko acknowledged contritely, "But she wouldn't have let up otherwise and you know that."

Sokka nodded his head in glum acknowledgement. That was partly the reason he'd allowed Zuko to continue his rant without interruption. Katara wasn't going to back down unless she was forcefully _driven_ away. His sister's righteous stubbornness was legendary, rivaled only by Zuko's. "Yeah, I know it. I still don't like it."

"So will you take her back home now?" Zuko entreated. "I want her to be safe, Sokka. I want that for you both."

"Trust me, if it's up to Katara we won't be going very far at all. I don't care what she said to you. She'd die before she abandoned you. In the meantime, I don't know what we're going to do," Sokka said. "When I figure it out, I'll send word to you." He rose to his feet and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, giving it a brief, but affectionate squeeze. "Take care of yourself, Zuko."

He touched Sokka's hand briefly, horrified by the sudden tears that burned in his throat. "You too."


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter** **Twenty**-**Three**

The man slumped to the ground, his body still twitching with the electricity that coursed through his body. Azula rolled her eyes over the fitful display and reclined back into the plush throne that had once been occupied by the King of Omashu. "Such a silly little weakling," she sneered under her breath, "I barely even tapped him."

From her right, Mai inquired dryly, "Are you at all familiar with the phrase '_don't_ kill the messenger?'"

"Wow, Azula," Ty Lee breathed as she surveyed the dead man with rounded eyes, "You really don't take bad news well, do you?"

"Bad news, Ty Lee?" Azula echoed, waving forth her attendants so that they could remove the dead man from her presence. "I think we're dealing with something a bit more substantial than simple 'bad news.' My father is not a patient man. We have spent quite a bit of time hunting for the Avatar only to learn that he's been right here in the Earth Kingdom decimating my father's army! That is unacceptable! I refuse to make the bungling mess that Zhao did."

"You couldn't possibly do worse," Mai mumbled.

"Mai's right, Azula. In only a few days, you've managed to conquer Omashu. Not to mention that huge, drill thingie you've constructed," Ty Lee piped up brightly. "Zhao didn't do that for the Northern Water Tribe _and_ he died in the process…which is sort of a bummer. Anyway, you've already had way more success than he ever did. That should make your father happy." She bounced an uncertain look between Mai and Azula. "Right?"

"Don't be naive!" Azula scoffed. "Nothing makes my father happy."

"Must be a family trait," Mai muttered under her breath.

Of course, Aang was the one inconsistency in the royal family. While Ursa had been gracious and kind, she had never exhibited the pure joy that seemed to reside within her son. Mai had often teased him when they were children, telling him that he must have been found on the roadside somewhere. She was seriously starting to suspect there was some truth to that.

"I'm working on borrowed time here," Azula snapped. "I'm not a fool! I know very well my father lacks confidence that I can successfully complete this mission. He's probably working Aang over for information on the Avatar's whereabouts as we speak!" Though Mai made a concerted effort to keep her features schooled in their usually impassive mask, at the mention of Aang, she flinched slightly…and Azula saw it. Her expression becoming positively feline, the Fire Nation princess scrutinized Mai with thoughtful intensity. "Does that bother you, Mai?" she drawled lightly.

"Does what bother me?" Mai brazened.

"To hear that Aang is suffering so cruelly at our father's hand?" Azula clarified airily. "It's okay. You can be honest with me," she invited further; "I know you two were once very close."

However, Mai had known Azula for a very long time and she knew better than to trust her. "We were children then. That was a long time ago," she replied evasively.

"It bothers _me_," Ty Lee interjected in a meaningful tone, "I don't want Aang to be hurt. I've always liked him. When we were little, he'd play circus with me even when you and Mai couldn't be bothered. We'd pretend to be high-wire artists. He's very flexible, you know?" As Ty Lee prattled on, Azula listened with large, dramatic eye rolls. Her friend, however, remained oblivious. "Aang definitely knew how to have fun." Ty Lee sighed at the memory. "I used to daydream that we'd get married and run away to the circus together."

"Silly girl," Azula laughed, "Were you planning to fight Mai for him? I'm sure you know they were once betrothed."

"Well, she did break his heart, remember?" Ty Lee flashed Mai a disappointed frown. "I can't believe you told him that you didn't like him the way he liked you! What was not to like, Mai?"

"Like I said, that was a long time ago," Mai reiterated, caught somewhere between mortification and wanting to strangle Ty Lee, "before Aang ran away and betrayed his nation. He betrayed us all. Whatever he's suffering now, he brought it upon himself." It galled Mai to say the words, much less convincingly but she somehow managed to push them past her lips without gagging. In the last three years of her life, circumstances had forced her to become quite the accomplished actress.

"I'm glad to hear you feel that way," Azula replied, "I trust you'll be just as practical when it comes to capturing the Avatar because, as of now, our little vacation in Omashu is officially over."

"This was a vacation?" Ty Lee chirped, frowning blankly. "I would have definitely relaxed more. With all this constant tension going on, my skin is starting to totally break out."

Largely ignoring her, Azula rose to her feet, her beautiful eyes narrowed with fierce determination. "Pack your belongings, ladies," she said, "We're going Avatar hunting."

****

"So how long do you plan to follow after General Fong's army?" Sokka asked his sister.

Katara paused in the act of wrapping up their belongings to pin him with an irritated look. "Until I'm sure that Zuko isn't making the biggest mistake of his life! And so far, I'm not!"

"Don't you think you're being a little extreme?" Sokka reasoned. "Keeping up with them on foot is nearly impossible! We've barely slept in four days. If Zuko knew you were doing this, he wouldn't like it, Katara. In fact, he wanted me to take you home."

The declaration confirmed something that Katara had already suspected for days now. Zuko _had_ been deliberately trying to push her away. Well, she certainly wasn't going to make it easy for him. Consequently, rather than being cowed by Sokka's argument, Katara became even more obstinate. "I don't care if it makes Zuko angry. He needs us more than ever. Would that stop you if it were Yue?" she challenged.

"That's different. I loved Yue," Sokka returned softly.

"And I love Zuko," Katara whispered, "Maybe it's not the way you loved Yue, but I _do_ love him. He's become a part of me, Sokka. I want to keep him safe. I _have_ to, especially after what happened to Aang."

It wasn't her candid declaration that broke Sokka's heart, but the things she'd conspicuously left unspoken. He hoisted his pack onto his back and regarded her with a sympathetic, sideways glance. "What happened with Aang wasn't your fault," he told her as they resumed walking. "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

"I shouldn't have left him behind," Katara mumbled guiltily, "I play those last minutes with him over and over in my head. I wanted to go after him and I almost did, but I changed my mind at the last second." She blinked back the tears flooding her eyes. "Why did I do that? Why did I change my mind? Why didn't I go after him, Sokka?"

Her brother reached out to touch her forearm, halting her mid-step with the gentle touch. She timidly met his earnest blue stare. "If you _had_ gone after him, you wouldn't be here right now, Katara," Sokka pointed out, "You would have died with him and then we really would have been in trouble because I don't think I could have gotten over that."

"Maybe," she considered dully, "Or maybe Aang would have been here with us right now and he would have been able to talk Zuko out of this whole avatar state foolishness. Goodness knows that nothing I say gets through to him."

"You can't know that. Maybe Zuko would have made the same decision, only Aang would have gotten the brunt of his anger instead of you."

Though the argument was logical, Katara shook it off altogether, grief and guilt coloring her perspective. "All I know is that I didn't go after Aang and that turned out to be a mistake," she maintained stubbornly, "I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life, so I'm not going to make the same mistake with Zuko." She fixed Sokka with an imploring look that was punctuated with steely resolve. "What do you say, big brother? Are you with me or not?"

After an intense moment of silence, Sokka heaved a defeated sigh. "I'm with you." Katara squealed in relief and threw her arms around his shoulders, which only provoked further sighs of long-suffering from her brother. "Why do I have the distinct feeling I'm going to regret this?" he groaned.

****

Sleep had become a precious commodity for Zuko. He was plagued by nightmares and they were the worst kind too. They haunted him even when he was wide awake. Visions of Roku and Yangchen were unrelenting…they warned him constantly of the dangers of misusing the avatar state. _If you are killed while in the avatar state, the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist._ Zuko couldn't shake the foreboding caution. The revelation punctuated everything that he did.

Furthermore, it was never far from his mind how thoroughly he'd strayed from the teachings of his people. He didn't even feel like an Air Nomad anymore. When Zuko gazed in the looking glass, he no longer recognized himself. He felt like a charlatan, a hoax, a pale imitation of who he'd been raised to be.

As a result, he'd stopped shaving his head and he no longer meditated, seeing little point in keeping up the facade in pretending to be something he wasn't. The decision was necessary in order to continue on the path he'd chosen, but incredibly gut-wrenching as well. Zuko was vibrantly aware that, not only had he failed every expectation Gyatso had ever held for him, but also, in turning his back on his culture, he, as the last remaining Airbender, had destroyed the precious little that had been left of it.

Guilt ate away at him like cancer, interspersed with blinding rage and rampant self-loathing. Still, he pushed himself onward. He told himself daily as he and General Fong's army plowed through Fire Nation battalion after battalion that he was doing the right thing. He was saving the world…and losing himself. There had been a time when he'd believed such a sacrifice was worth it, that the ends justified the means, but now Zuko was no longer sure.

It didn't feel right. _He_ didn't feel right. The satisfaction he'd expected to feel in exterminating the Fire Nation scourge from the Earth Kingdom was sorely lacking. He went about the destruction like a machine, destroying and laying waste and feeling nothing more than confused revulsion as he did.

In the heat of battle, he would observe the Fire Nation soldiers scream and scatter as if watching the unfolding carnage outside of his own body, but he wouldn't see _them_. Instead, he saw visions of his own people, racing through the temples, monks shielding children against unrelenting fire blasts, babies crying…raw and blistered flesh, people steeped in terror and everyone knowing there was absolutely no escape for them. Zuko couldn't ignore the parallels. He knew that the justice he was meting out to those soldiers had been the same brand of justice Sozin had dispensed for his people…and it sickened him.

But then he remembered the broken remains of Firebenders that had littered the ground where he'd discovered Gyatso's body. When the situation had called for it, his mentor had done what he needed to do. Zuko felt justified in his actions, even as, contrarily, he was shamed by them. He couldn't be certain what was right or wrong anymore.

And, on top of all that, his feelings hadn't changed. The hatred remained. The rage remained. He wanted them gone. He wanted their tyranny and oppression to end, but Katara had been right. This wasn't the way. Zuko had known that in his heart even before he'd agreed to General Fong's plan, but he had ignored the clamoring of his conscience. He had traveled the hard road when he had known better, preferring to learn his lesson in the school of hard knocks instead. And, in doing so, he had dealt himself an entirely new layer of emotional scars, all self-inflicted and entirely preventable.

He couldn't go on. _I won't_, Zuko decided. He had done more than enough to give the Earth Kingdom general an advantage over his enemies. Now Zuko needed to focus on himself and do what he could to repair the shattered remnants of his soul. He would leave General Fong's camp. Afterwards, he would find Katara and Sokka and he would beg their forgiveness for being such an obstinate and foolish jerk. He was determined to never again let his pride come between him and his friends.

That evening when Fong's army made camp Zuko went to the general's tent and requested a private audience. Fong welcomed him inside with a pleased smile. "It's going well, don't you think?" he inquired excitedly as Zuko took the empty seat before him. "I'm told Firelord Ozai has appointed his daughter to personally oversee the matters unfolding here. She comes with an army as we speak. If the Firelord has recruited the princess, then I'm sure we have him running scared."

"I'm glad to hear that. Then you should have no trouble taking his remaining armies on your own," Zuko concluded. "This is as far as I go with you, sir."

General Fong's smile faltered instantly. "What? No!" he protested vehemently, "Why, we need you now more than ever, Avatar Zuko! Princess Azula is a dangerous young woman and highly motivated. If we want to successfully take the Fire Nation capitol, we must subdue her first and we cannot possibly do that without you."

"Well, you're going to have to give it a try," Zuko told him. "It isn't that I don't support your efforts, General Fong. I do. I hope you achieve everything you set out to do, but I can no longer continue on this course with you. It doesn't feel right to me anymore."

Visibly dismayed by what seemed to him a sudden and unexplained change of heart, General Fong began quickly running through all the possibilities as to why the young Avatar might be displeased with him. He arrived at what he thought was an obvious conclusion mere seconds later.

"Is this about your earthbending training?" he asked nervously, "I know you were disappointed when I suggested putting it off, but I had very good reason. We should focus on the battles at hand."

"It has nothing to do with that."

Despite the rebuttal, the general went on as if Zuko had said nothing at all. "However, if it is a problem for you to wait, we can certainly begin your training, as soon as the morning if you wish," he offered accommodatingly, "Though, honestly, I don't see the need for you to train at all as long as you have the avatar state. It seems to me that learning the other elements would only be a waste of time."

"I can see why you would think that," Zuko said, "Honestly, I thought the same thing, but… The Avatar has been mastering the four elements for centuries. That is how it has always _been_ done and how it always will _be_ done. It was presumptuous of me to assume I had a better way to go about it. I was wrong."

"So you're just going to leave?" Fong demanded, aghast. "We're in the middle of a war! You can't simply go pack up and go home because you no longer like how the game is played! Don't' be a child!"

"I'm not a child and I'm not going home," Zuko replied calmly, "I'm going to Omashu to learn earthbending from King Bumi, just as I planned." _Just as I should have done from the beginning_, he added silently.

"It's a little late now! You made promises to me!" General Fong threw out in accusation.

Zuko regarded Fong with a daggered glare. "And you've made promises to me as well!" he retorted, "Ones that you failed to live up to at all. You're in no position to judge me, General."

"But Princess Azula's army marches upon us. Without you, we will be slaughtered," Fong ground out, "There will be no mercy for us! Don't you care?"

"You confuse me, General," Zuko replied tautly, "Only a few minutes ago, I was a 'child' in your eyes. Now you speak of me as if I'm your sole savior. Aren't you supposed to be a military tactician or is your rank merely for show?"

Pointedly ignoring Zuko's veiled insult, Fong said in a forced, even tone, "As the Avatar you have a duty to protect the world."

"And I recognize that. But I also have a duty to master the elements. Those responsibilities go hand in hand."

"We won't survive without you, Avatar," General Fong mumbled pitiably.

However, his candor didn't inspire pity in Zuko, but outright revulsion. It dawned on him then the type of man he'd chosen to align himself with…a man who was not a man at all, but a coward willing to hide behind someone he considered little more than a child. "While I realize I am the Avatar, the reality is that I'm an unrealized one. Furthermore, as you pointed out, I am a thirteen year old boy!" Zuko snorted, "Honestly, if _I'm_ the deciding factor in how your army performs then you have bigger problems on your hands than just purging the Fire Nation from your land. I'm fighting this war in my own way, on my own terms from now on."

"No!" the general protested loudly as Zuko stood to excuse himself. He surged to his feet, unconsciously bending up two large rock boulders from the ground. "You can't leave like this! I won't allow you to leave like this!"

Zuko turned a defiant look over his shoulder, first at the hovering rocks and then at the blustering Earth Kingdom general. Though his features were impassive, his eyes were icy with dangerous challenge. "Are you planning to stop me?" he demanded. General Fong gulped audibly. Having seen firsthand the destruction the Avatar could unleash when crossed, he had no desire to get on the boy's bad side. Rethinking the wisdom of attacking Zuko, he gradually lowered the boulders back into the ground, his shoulders hunched in defeat. Zuko raked him with a disgusted glance. "Yeah," he scoffed, "That's just what I would have expected from you."

****

Later that night when Zuko entered their camp as if he'd done little more than take an evening stroll, Sokka and Katara were understandably shocked senseless. They automatically surged to their feet in greeting, but couldn't seem to form the words to welcome them. In the end, Sokka and Katara would have had little time to process Zuko's surprising return anyway because they were immediately attacked with great, slobbery licks and mad chittering from Appa and Momo. However, once the Water Tribe siblings had significantly calmed to the two excited animals with a pent up store of affection, they regarded Zuko with mute astonishment.

He tried not to fidget under their intense perusal. "I'm back," he announced lamely.

"Yeah…we can see that," Sokka replied, unable to bite back his glad smile, "It's about time, buddy."

"Sorry it took me so long," Zuko said. "I can be a little stubborn sometimes."

"No, you're kidding!" Sokka teased him.

Katara would have probably teased him as well, but she was too busy trying to process the fact that he was actually standing less than six feet away. "H-How did you know even know where to find us?" she stammered in disbelief.

Something akin to a dry chuckle escaped Zuko, but neither Katara nor Sokka could be sure that's what it had been. Zuko laughing seemed like a stretch of the imagination, but as he regarded them, he seemed almost amused. "Katara, I've known you were following me this entire time," he revealed mildly, "You and Sokka are hardly masters of stealth."

"This is very true," Sokka replied wryly. "So what made you change your mind?" he asked bluntly, "Not that we're not glad to see you or anything, but… You seemed rather determined to do things another way."

"Turns out that way was the wrong way," Zuko said. He turned his remorseful gaze towards Katara. "You were right after all."

It wasn't an exact apology, but it was enough for Katara. The very fact that he was willing to swallow his pride to admit he was wrong at all was _huge_. Not only that, he had figured out the right thing to do on his own, without any prodding from her. Katara was incredibly proud of him. "So…um…if we tried to give you a group hug, would you totally freak out about it?" she ventured carefully. "I know we've never done that before, but I feel like the situation kind of warrants it."

Zuko swallowed spasmodically. "I think I could tolerate a group hug right about now."

As they converged around him with in mutual embrace, Zuko expelled a heavy breath, not even realizing he'd been holding it until that very second. While the hug felt awkward and a little foreign, it felt good as well. It felt _right_. Inevitably, though, Zuko became uncomfortable with just how much he liked it and shrugged away from them. Once he had, Katara gasped suddenly.

"What?" Zuko burst out, self-consciously aware of her incredulous stare.

"I just noticed. You have hair!" she exclaimed in surprise, noting the shadow that darkened Zuko's usually clean shaven cranium. She frowned in confusion. "Wait…when did you start having hair?"

"Katara, I've always had hair," Zuko reasoned, "I've just never let it grow before."

"I know that," Katara said, "Your baldness was symbolic of your culture, right?"

"Right."

"So what changed?" Katara wondered. "Why have you stopped shaving your head?"

"It's…it's just something I decided not to do anymore," Zuko evaded.

Before Katara could press Zuko more on the subject, Sokka released a serrated groan of pure exasperation. "Are we seriously making a big deal out of that?" he cried, pointing to the stubble on Zuko's head. "That's not even _hair_, Katara!" he guffawed, "That's only fuzz. In fact, it's an insult to fuzz!" He pulled the band from his wolf-tail and gave his unbound hair a dramatic toss. "_This_ is hair," he emphasized.

Both his sister and best friend regarded him with unsmiling looks. "Just ignore him," Katara deadpanned.

"I intend to," Zuko agreed.

Katara grinned at him, overcome with sheer joy to see him standing there. "It's good to have you back, Zuko."

The corners of his lips turned up just slightly and while the smile was incredibly faint, Katara felt as if he were beaming at her. Strangely enough, Zuko felt like he was beaming as well. "Thanks, Katara," he sighed, "It's good to be back."

****

Azula was inspecting the perfectly manicured tips of her fingernails when a beaten and broken General Fong was dragged before her. She immediately snapped for the two attending Firebenders to take their leave. Without ceremony, they released Fong so that he sprawled across the floor of Azula's tent in a groaning heap. After they'd departed, both Mai and Ty Lee moved to stand guard near the tent's entrance, on the miniscule chance that General Fong was foolish enough to attempt an escape.

"So you're the formidable General Fong," Azula drawled in a bored tone, "Somehow, I'm not impressed." Fong groaned again and tried to lift his head, but didn't quite make it. Azula's lips curled in a repulsed sneer. "On your knees, peasant!" she spat.

Though it required reserves of strength he didn't have, General Fong managed to push himself into a respectful bow. "Please, Princess, spare my life," he begged shamelessly.

"You mean you have no wish to join the ravaged remains of your army?" Azula taunted. "Where is your honor? What kind of General are you?"

"One who wishes to live, majesty," Fong mumbled pitifully.

"Well, you should count yourself fortunate then, General Fong," Azula declared expansively. "Had you been brought before my father, he would have ended your life without compunction. As for me…I tend to be a bit more benevolent than my dear sire." Before Fong could breathe a sigh of relief, however, she added, "I would expect something in return, of course."

"Anything I have to give is yours, Princess."

"I'm not interested in your cheap Earth Kingdom trinkets," Azula dismissed impatiently. "I want information." She leaned forward in her chair so that her face was within inches of Fong's when she hissed, "Where is the Avatar?"

General Fong felt cold fear settle into the pit of his stomach. "Th-The Avatar, Princess?" he stumbled.

"Don't take me for a fool, General," Azula sneered. "I know very well you could not have cut through my father's battalions without help. I want to know where he is!" Despite her demand, Fong hesitated, struggling between the noble desire to do the right thing and the inborn instinct to save his own skin. Realizing that he was poised on the edge of confession, Azula decided to give him one final push. "Someone is going to die, General Fong," she declared implacably, "You simply must decide who that will be…you or the Avatar?"

The Earth Kingdom general closed his eyes and swallowed deeply, hating himself for what he was about to do and yet doing it anyway. "He's on his way to Omashu to train under King Bumi," Fong confessed in a rush of breath. He comforted himself in his treachery with the knowledge that, if the Fire Nation princess _did_ go up against the Avatar, she'd be crushed in a matter of minutes.

"Omashu?" Azula laughed. "But Omashu has fallen." Fong stared at her in speechless surprise. "So you didn't know?" she surmised with a pleased smile, "That's even better. I'm almost tempted to let the Avatar make it there just so he can be disappointed." She settled her satisfied stare on General Fong and raised her arm, extending out her index and forefingers in unquestioning threat. Fong's eyes flared wide with the implication.

"B-But you said you'd spare my life!" he cried.

"I lied," she replied dispassionately right before she fired off a single jet of blue fire right into his heart. After he collapsed to the ground, still and silent, Azula stood up and casually stepped over his body. "Come, ladies. It's time to return to Omashu."

Ty Lee obediently fell into step behind her as she exited the tent, complaining, "But didn't we just come from there? I feel like we're going in circles."

Mai lingered, however. She stared down at the fallen Earth Kingdom general. His remorseless slaying was a brutal reminder of what happened to those who displeased the unpredictable and unmerciful Fire Nation princess. Outside of the tent, she heard Azula call her name impatiently. "Are you coming sometime this hour?"

"Yes," Mai responded quietly, forcing herself to look away from General Fong's prone form, "I'm coming."


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter** **Twenty-Four**

Katara found Zuko sitting on the edge of the river bank, his legs submerged in the water up to the knees. Seemingly unaware of her presence, he watched the curious fish beneath the translucent surface dart swishing circles around his ankles. Although there was still a good bit of distance between them, Katara could see that Zuko appeared to be lost in thought. Not wishing to disturb him, Katara turned on her heel to leave as silently as she'd come.

"Wait!"

Surprised by his outburst, Katara lurched back around. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you," she explained quickly, "I only wanted to get in a little bending before we left for Omashu. I thought you might be practicing so I decided to join you."

"No, I was just sitting here thinking."

Katara groaned. "I didn't realize you were meditating," she said.

"I wasn't meditating," he mumbled sullenly, "I don't do that anymore."

His morose reply provoked a bewildered frown from Katara. She regarded him with a mixture of sadness and confusion, disappointed to discover that his happiness from the night before had all but faded with the dawn of morning. He was back to being his usual brooding, introspective self. Katara wasn't particularly bothered by the change for she'd expected it. Zuko wasn't Zuko unless he was severely grumpy. In fact, she'd become rather endeared to his sour personality, especially because she suspected that he used his gruffness as a defense mechanism.

Yet, something told Katara that his current mood wasn't a manifestation of his usual discontent. The gloominess that hung about him now was something entirely different. He was struggling emotionally. That much was evident in the low stoop of his shoulders and the hopeless expression on his face as he regarded her.

"You want to talk about it?" Katara offered, closing the distance between them in careful inches. He didn't answer in the affirmative, but then he didn't reject her either. Encouraged, she tried to coax him out of his self-imposed silence once more. "Zuko, you asked me to stay for a reason," she observed. "Why don't you get whatever it is off your chest once and for all?"

"I don't know if talking about it will help," Zuko muttered.

"You could still try it."

Zuko sighed and presented her with his forlorn profile. "I feel so guilty," he confessed gruffly. "I'm drowning in it."

Katara folded down beside him on the bank, plunging her feet into the river as well. "Why? Is it because of what happened with General Fong…because of the things you did?" she prodded. His expression became dark with shame. He couldn't even bring himself to meet her compassionate gaze. "Is that why you don't meditate anymore?"

"I've betrayed everything I was raised to believe, Katara," he mumbled, "Meditation is done for the sake of achieving inner peace and I seriously doubt that's possible for me anymore."

"Zuko, this is a war," she argued. "Sometimes the only thing you can do is what you feel is right. No one gets to judge you for that, not even me."

"And what if I can't be sure what the right thing is anymore?" he lamented, "What if, sometimes, the right thing feels wrong and the wrong thing feels right? What if, no matter what I do, I can't fix what's really broken?"

"What's bothering you, Zuko?"

He sandwiched his hands between his thighs and stared out across the water blindly. "I'm the reason that Aang is gone, just like I'm the reason my people are gone. I've been trying to make up for that ever since, but I'm only making things worse instead of better."

"Why would you think that?" Katara demanded sharply. "People have hope again because of you. You had nothing to do with what happened to your people, just like you had nothing to do with what happened to Aang!"

"I'm the all-powerful Avatar, right?" Zuko reasoned, "I'm supposed to singlehandedly end a century's old war and stop an evil dictator. I have all the cosmic energy in the universe available at my fingertips and yet, when it comes to saving my own race…my _friend_, I'm helpless. I'm a failure."

"NO!" Katara flared passionately. "No one tries harder than you! You never give up! I won't let you blame yourself!"

"But I _am_ to blame, Katara!" he snapped. "Don't baby me! I know the truth! _I'm_ the reason my people are gone! _I'm_ the reason you lost your mother and _I'm_ the reason the world is in the state it is!"

"Stop it! I don't want to hear you talk this way!"

"Maybe that's because the truth hurts." He blinked back the hot tears forming in his eyes. "I'm not a good person," he choked.

"Yes, you are," Katara hissed, fighting back her own tears at the magnitude of his self-loathing. "You're one of the best people I know."

"You don't know what I've done," he argued thickly, "What I _want_ to do… I can't stop myself! I'm dangerous, Katara! I'm not even sure if you and Sokka should be around me anymore."

"What are you saying?" Katara peered at him in scowling disbelief. "Do you want us to go now?" she demanded in laughing incredulity, "So, you came back here last night because you realized you were wrong and that we needed to stick together and _now_ this morning you want to split up again? That doesn't make sense!"

"I don't _want_ to," Zuko snapped, "but I'm trying to think about someone besides myself for a change!"

"Thanks for making the effort," Katara replied, "But I think Sokka and I will be just fine."

Zuko growled in frustration. "Why are you so stubborn all the time?"

Laconically, she extended her hand to him. "Hello, Pot. I'm Kettle."

"Don't joke about it! I'm trying to do the right thing, Katara!" he ground out, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't do that," Katara determined.

"How can you have so much confidence in me when I don't have any in myself?" he cried.

"Because I trust you," she whispered, "No matter what I've said when I was angry, when it _really_ counts, Zuko, you have never let me down. I know you never will. But more than that…I understand what you're going through right now. You're not the only one who feels guilty and helpless all the time. I do too. I blame myself for Aang as much as you do, maybe more."

Zuko slumped forward wearily. "It's not the same."

"You're right," she agreed, "It's not. You're the Avatar and so I know you hold a greater responsibility in protecting innocent lives. But I was standing right there with Aang. I was holding his hand and I let him run back to his crazy sister when I knew better. I _knew_ it was a bad idea and I let him go anyway."

The trembling sorrow Zuko her in her voice momentarily made him forget his own. There was something else, a hopeless desolation in her words that made him shudder. "Katara, did something else happen that day…with you and Aang, I mean?"

She cut her gaze away awkwardly and bent up an idle spout of water from the river. "What makes you think that?" she brazened casually.

Zuko froze the tiny, twirling stream and then disintegrated it altogether. Katara glared at him. "I'm not an idiot. You're always pushing me to talk," he told her, "Now it's your turn."

Katara gazed at her despondent reflection on the river's glassy surface. "Aang kissed me," she confessed in a broken whisper, not realizing how much of a burden that secret had been until she disclosed it. "There was all this smoke and fire and everything was crashing down around us and suddenly he kissed me. I couldn't even process what was happening and, by the time I did, it was over," she recounted in a daze. "Afterwards, he…he said he just wanted to know what it was like…and then he was gone."

Caught up in the memory, Katara shook her head, clearly as confused about that kiss currently as she had been when it happened. "I…I don't know what to think about it really," she went on. "I thought we were friends. I never even suspected he felt that way about me at all and now…" She threw up her hands in a gesture of frustration. "I have all these different feelings inside me and I don't know what to do with them."

"Did you love him?"

She took a deep breath, ready to answer the question because she'd already considered that very thing a dozen times herself. "I don't know," she sighed ironically. "Before that moment he was just Aang…this sweet, goofy guy who was fun and made me laugh. He was my best friend and I could talk to him about anything. We connected so fast and so easily it was like we were always meant to be friends. I think we were." She swiped angrily at the tears falling on her cheeks. "He changed _everything_ between us and then he just left me here!"

"You sound like you're angry with him."

"I am angry. And sad. And confused. I feel every emotion there is. But mostly I miss him." She chanced a glance at Zuko and, seeing his slightly overwhelmed expression, immediately felt like a selfish idiot for emotionally unloading on him. "I am so sorry," she apologized. "I can't believe I told you all that. I don't know what's wrong with me. As if you weren't dealing with enough already."

"Actually, I'm glad you told me," he admitted as staggered by the realization as Katara. "I'm a little freaked out and uncomfortable, but I'm glad. I'm usually the one talking about my problems, not the other way around. It feels good to comfort someone else for a change. I like that you feel you can talk to me, Katara. It feels like we really _are_ friends." Any doubts he'd had held about that were laid to rest in that moment. She further confirmed his conclusion with her next words.

"Of course, we're friends, Zuko," Katara whispered. "I know we've had our fights before, but I'm in it for the long haul with you. I'm never leaving you, okay?"

"Yeah, I'm beginning to get that," he acknowledged a little awkwardly, "I guess the least I can do is to stop trying to push you away. It's obviously a waste of time."

"Pretty much," Katara agreed, nudging him playfully with her shoulder, "And we both know how you feel about wasting time. You'd be doing _me_ and _yourself_ a favor." She flashed him with a teasing grin and though he merely rolled his eyes in response, Katara could plainly see how they gleamed. A companionable silence settled between them as they sat together on the bank, soaking their feet in the river and adjusting themselves to the deepened closeness between them.

Finally, after a few minutes of listenting to the frogs croak and the fish splash, Katara bumped him again. "So…this little talk of ours probably put you over the edge, huh?" she surmised with a wry laugh as she became aware of his uncomfortable shifting.

"I think it's possibly the longest conversation we've had," Zuko replied. "That's not a bad thing, but—,"

"—But you'd like some alone time to process everything, right?" Katara concluded knowingly. She was already rolling to her feet before he could formulate his weak denial. "It's okay. I get it," she told him. "Just promise me you won't sit here and brood the entire morning. Do some actual waterbending and make sure you come back to camp in time for lunch. Agreed?"

He almost smiled at her. "Agreed…_Mom_."

"Where have you been?" Zuko demanded when Sokka came tripping back into camp. "We were supposed to leave an hour ago!"

"I found a short cut!" Sokka declared breathlessly. "I was in town…and I heard…and since you're so time-conscious anyway…we can shave hours off our trip…_and_ I bought us torches and a map!" he concluded, thrusting his purchase forward triumphantly. "Go me!"

If he expected his friend to be impressed, Sokka was sorely disappointed. "What are you babbling about?" Zuko grumbled irritably.

"I know a way to get us to Omashu in half the time and with none of the aggravation!" Sokka announced proudly. "There's a secret pass that runs right through the mountains! It's got some cheesy legend attached to it, but for the time being, ignore that and focus on 'half the time!' Best of all, the Fire Nation knows nothing about it! "

On her pass through on the way to load Appa's saddle, Katara paused, frowning at her brother in befuddlement. She cut a glance at Zuko. "What is he talking about?"

The young Avatar shrugged. "Eh, who knows?"

Sokka growled his aggravation, his irritation growing to new heights when Zuko and Katara resumed loading Appa's saddle, virtually ignoring him in the process. "Try to pay attention to what I'm saying," he enunciated. "There's this legend about these two lovers who were Earthbenders, but their villages were at war with each other. They were forbidden to see each other. So, to be together, they built this web of tunnels underneath the mountain so that they could meet in secret."

"Are you serious?" Zuko guffawed from atop Appa's head. "You think you've found a short cut based on _that_? Sokka, did you skip lunch today?"

"Okay, I know it sounds crazy," Sokka acknowledged, "But I did some checking and the caves are definitely there."

"Why can't we just fly over on Appa?" Katara asked as she knelt to feed Momo a handful of berries. "That's what we always do."

"_Because_ there are Fire Nation soldiers crawling all over the mountains, that's why," Sokka revealed succinctly. "From what I heard in town, Omashu has been under siege for weeks now."

"What?" Zuko cried in alarm. "Maybe we shouldn't go then."

"What choice do we have?" Sokka rationalized. "It's not like you have an endless choice of earthbending masters lined up. King Bumi is literally our only shot, especially since you pretty much burned your bridges with General Fong when you implied he was less than a man."

For his frank clarification of the situation, Katara threw a moccasin at his head which missed only by a few scant inches. "That really helps, Sokka."

He glowered at her. "Well, it's true," he insisted, deftly dodging her second hurled shoe. "Stop doing that!" he complained. "The shortcut is a good idea! Besides, we promised Aang we'd get Zuko to King Bumi and that's what we're going to do. It was practically his dying wish. The arrangements have already been made. King Bumi's expecting us, remember?"

"I still don't like it," Zuko mumbled.

"It's the safest choice," Sokka cajoled, "We'd be able to get to Omashu quickly _and_ avoid the Fire Nation at the same time. Wouldn't you like to get there without having to fight for our lives? This is a win/win situation."

"Not win/win at all," Zuko refuted, "Appa hates being underground. He'll be miserable!"

"Does he like fireballs better?" Sokka countered sarcastically, "Because that's the alternative."

Katara placed a reassuring hand on Zuko's shoulder and flicked her brother with a woebegone glance. "Though Sokka's being an insensitive oaf about it—,"

"Hey!" the aforementioned screeched in affront.

"—he's right," Katara sighed in conclusion. "We have to do what's safest for everyone, Zuko."

Although he was still uncertain, especially in light of the new information about Omashu being under siege, Zuko made the conscious decision to heed Katara's advice. She had been right about General Fong, after all. The chances were great that she was right about the shortcut as well. If Katara thought going by the tunnels was a good idea then Zuko wholly trusted her judgment.

"Okay…" he agreed finally, "Let's do it."

One hour later, Sokka, Katara and Zuko squinted up at the faded words carved crudely over the gaping mouth to the forbidden lovers' cave. "Be forewarned," Zuko recited slowly, "All who enter here are doomed." He favored Sokka with a sardonic glare. "Wow, that certainly sounds promising."

"Don't be intimidated. I'm sure that was only written to scare people," his friend dismissed lightly, "Nothing bad is going to—," He never finished the sentence because a fireball suddenly rocketed over their heads, drowning out the remainder of Sokka's sentence and completely obliterating the inscription they'd just read. Sokka yelped. "What the…"

When they lurched around, the three discovered they were being charged by three girls riding what appeared to be gigantic lizards. They were galloping towards Zuko, Katara and Sokka at breakneck speed, eyes fixed and focused on their intended targets. Sokka's confusion over the attack quickly gave way to shocked disbelief when he recognized the girl at the fore of the trio. "It's Aang's crazy sister!"

"What?" Katara squinted in dubious stupefaction. "She's alive? How did she find us?"

However, there was little time to consider the answer to that question, let alone contemplate how Azula was even alive because she and her companions were already flipping from their mounts in full attack mode. However, Zuko and Katara were prepared for their second assault. Together, they bent a protective shell of ice around themselves and Sokka to absorb the pelting heat of Azula's flashing fire blasts.

In a quick counter attack, Katara flung out a net of ice, her intention to freeze Azula against the canyon wall, but her black haired companion threw out a quick hail of knives seemingly from nowhere and shattered Katara's net before it could reach Azula. The air exploded with a spray of frost. Eyes narrowed, Zuko blew forth a stiff current of air, which knocked the knife-wielding girl off her feet, but, unfortunately, was deftly eluded by Azula and her remaining, pink clad companion. Zuko growled in frustration.

As he and Katara squared off with Azula and Mai, bending in tandem against their sharp bursts of fire, quick side-steps and dangerous blades, Sokka found himself face to face with Azula's pretty, baby-faced friend. "You know…I usually have a policy against hitting girls." Smirking, Ty Lee responded with a series of quick, well-placed jabs that left Sokka's arms hanging uselessly at his sides at his sides when she was done. She regarded him with a wide smile of satisfaction.

"Well, in that case…" Sokka sighed. Left with little choice, Sokka reared back and head-butted her with all his might. Ty Lee reeled, blinking rapidly as stars literally exploded from her eyes. She stumbled aside, clutching at her throbbing head. "Yeah guys, I think we should make a run for it!" Sokka advised his companions, already making a darting trail for the safety of the cave with a dizzy Ty Lee weaving behind him pursuit.

"We're right behind you!" Zuko called back.

He cut a slice of air beneath Azula's feet, which she managed to jump, but the invasion left her unprepared for Zuko's punishing air strike to her ribcage. As she doubled over in surprise, two shurikens whizzed past Zuko with stunning force, snagging in the loose material of his tunic and driving him back against the rocky face of the mountain. Several more bladed disks followed, so that his sleeves nearly all the way to his wrists were pinned into the rock. Azula regained her footing, hoping to take advantage of Zuko's immobility. But before she could charge him with a killing blow, Appa smacked her aside with one mighty swish of his tail. Tucked within his saddle and trembling uncontrollably beneath the safety of a blanket, Momo was sloshed from one side to the other as the bison made a valiant effort to protect his master. Over and over again, he thwarted Azula's attempts to get at Zuko, many times at great personal expense.

As Zuko struggled to unpin himself from the rock, Katara and Mai went head to head, exchanging a glinting sleet of sharpened knives and jagged ice shards. Unfortunately, Katara soon found herself not only fighting off Mai's unrelenting advance, but dodging Azula's deadly fire strikes as well. Zuko helped when and where he could. Whenever they danced into his range, he managed to clip the enemy with a strong breath of wind, but the gusts of air only served to slow them down, not stop them entirely. Katara formed and thrust out shards of gleaming ice, hoping to slow Mai's advance, while simultaneously managing to avoid Azula's strikes.

After what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Zuko finally tore himself free and, once he did, he and Katara retreated into the cave together. Azula and Mai pursued and a steady exchange of fire, air and water crisscrossed the cave, loosening the thousand year old rock inside so that it began to rumble ominously. The first streams of pebbled dust were largely ignored by them all.

Their grunts of exertion reverberated through the empty caverns, punctuated by the sound of crumbling debris. Azula, Mai, Katara and Zuko continued to dart and battle their way deeper into the cave while Sokka stealthily crept about the darkened interior in an attempt to remain hidden from a bouncing Ty Lee, none of them recognizing that they were in peril. It was only when the first boulder crashed from the situation gained their undivided attention and, by then, it was too late.

Mere seconds after the conclusion was drawn, however, the roof of the cave came down entirely, separating them, effectively sealing off the outside and engulfing them in pure darkness.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter** **Twenty-Five**

Azula sparked a torch of blue fire from her palm, illuminating her cramped confines. She scowled to discover that, not only was she walled in on all sides by fallen rock with no visible means of escape; she was trapped with a Water Tribe peasant as well. She glared her displeasure at Katara. Katara glared right back.

"Yeah, it's not my dream to be trapped in here with you either," the Waterbender complained, correctly reading the expression of distaste on Azula's face.

The Fire Nation princess narrowed her eyes, seriously contemplating striking Katara down right then, but she wisely held her temper in check. Instead, she decided to focus her immediate attention on getting herself free. Once that was done, then she would kill the girl.

"You want out? Allow me to alleviate matters for us both," Azula sneered. She drew back her arm, prepared to blast her way through the rocks.

"Wait!" Katara cried in strident alarm. "Are you insane? That's why this place came down on our heads in the first place! You'll crush us to death if you do that…or maybe you just _like_ causing cave ins?"

Recognizing the wisdom of her argument, but bristling at her tone, Azula slowly swung around to face Katara, as if she meant to run her through with fire. The blaze billowing in the center of her hand slowly transferred to the tapered tips of her fingers. Katara waited tensely, her breath coming in shallow pants as she prepared herself for imminent attack. Were it her brother or her father, she might have risked being crushed to death if it meant they would die along with her. A Water Tribe peasant, however, wasn't even worth the effort, let alone her precious life.

After an extended moment of pure tension, Azula relaxed and deliberately lowered her arm. She leaned back into the rock wall with an impatient glare. "So I can't kill you…_for_ _now_," she surmised with an aggravated huff, "In the meantime, you need to figure out a way out of here, so start digging! I have no intention of rotting away in here serving as little more than a glorified candle in the meanwhile!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you attacked us!" Katara shot back.

Azula emitted a derisive snort of laughter. "'Maybe you should have thought of that before you attacked us,'" she mocked in a babyish tone, "You're so cruel. You attacked me and treated me unfairly." Her pretty features darkened with a disgusted grimace. "Don't be a child! This is war, not grammar school! Perhaps you should have learned that lesson before you left home, peasant!"

Rather than giving into the understandable desire to smack her cross-eyed and risk the fiery retribution she'd receive for it, Katara channeled her anger and frustration towards doing something productive. "Listen, we don't have to like each other. Let's just concentrate on digging ourselves out of here," she said, "Then we can go back to being enemies." However, Katara had carefully removed several rocks before she noticed that Azula hadn't budged from her spot. "Well?" she prodded with irritation, "Aren't you going to help?"

"No," Azula replied flatly. "I don't do manual labor. But you may dig until your heart's content, peasant."

Katara growled under her breath as she worked, mentally relishing the numerous ways she'd like to make Azula squeal with pain. Eventually, she became aware of a muffled cry on the other side of the wall. At first, Katara imagined she was hearing things, but as the cries became more consistent, she realized she wasn't. She froze, listening intently. After a few moments, her eyes widened with relief and gladness.

"Sokka?" she cried excitedly, "Sokka! Is that you?"

Though his words were faint when he answered her, Katara was still able to make them out. "Katara?" The anxiety in his voice actually managed to penetrate the wall of debris separating them. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Were you hurt?"

She shot a quick, furtive glare in her unwanted companion's direction. "Azula is in here with me! Both of us are fine!" she called back to him before adding in a disgruntled mutter under her breath, "Unfortunately." And then she asked in a louder tone, "What about you?"

"It's really dark out here!" Sokka told her, "I can't see a thing! Do you have any light with you?"

"I'm with a Firebender, remember?" Katara answered back dryly.

"Right. Well, keep talking so I can follow the sound of your voice!"

"What about Zuko? Is he with you?"

"We were split up," Sokka answered, "I don't know where he is! I called for him but he never answered."

"I hope he's not hurt," Katara whispered to herself.

From behind, Azula snapped at her rudely. "You! Water Tribe girl! Ask him about my team," she ordered brusquely.

"What? No!" Katara snorted. "I could care less about your team!"

Once again, Azula had to check the impulse to run her through with lightning. The inclination grew more and more tempting the longer she was exposed to the disrespectful urchin's smart mouth. Her eyes trained on Katara in menacing threat the entire time, Azula intoned in a loud, controlled voice, "Ty Lee! Mai! Are you alive out there?"

"I'm here, Azula!" Ty Lee answered back, "But I don't know what's happened to Mai!"

"Well then stop standing there like a slack jawed imbecile and dig me out of here!" Azula grated.

"Right away, Azula!" Ty Lee vowed, "I'll get right on that…er…as soon as I know where to start…"

"We need to find the torches!" Sokka told Katara. "Once we do that, we'll start digging you out! Watch your back!"

Katara listened for several seconds more, but was met with only silence. She turned to regard Azula with a contempt-filled glare. "They're looking for the torches right now," she informed the Fire Nation princess flatly, "Once they find them, they'll have some light so that they know where to work."

"Fabulous," Azula drawled in an uninterested tone, "I wait on tenterhooks of anticipation."

****

"You're going to have to find the torches," Sokka informed Ty Lee tersely, "because I don't have _the use of my arms_ right now."

Ty Lee's bubbly tone chirped back at him out of the thick darkness. "Oh, that should wear off in an half an hour or so," she explained as she felt around on the cave floor for the fallen torches, "You just need to relax a little. That helps."

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen," Sokka mumbled, "This place just screams relaxation."

"I find the darkness incredibly calming," Ty Lee told him.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sokka muttered before asking in a louder tone, "Are you sure you're Fire Nation?" However, his puzzlement over her oddness was completely forgotten when he felt Ty Lee's questing fingers inadvertently stray over his upper thigh. "Um…that's not a torch, okay," he informed her dryly, "It's my leg. Try again." Her attempt to correct matters didn't yield better results. Sokka squealed in dismay and rolled to safety with an appalled yelp, inadvertently nailing his hip on the corner of something sharp when he did.

"_That_ wasn't it either!" he screeched with a yowl of pain.

"Sorry," Ty Lee giggled.

"Right. I'm sure you are. Try on the _other_ side of the cave!" he shot out in exasperation.

"I know we've only known each other for a few minutes, but are you always this tense?" Ty Lee observed conversationally as she began feeling her way towards the opposite side of the cavern, "I know several massage techniques that will help with that."

"Thanks so much for the offer, but I'll have to pass on that," Sokka replied sardonically, wondering briefly if Azula's strange companion was any relation to Aang. He could certainly believe it.

****

Zuko gave a sharp cry of gladness when he finally located his fallen, unlit torch after several minutes of searching the mossy ground of the cave. Mai's bored sigh materialized out of the darkness as he pushed to his feet. "Thanks for all your help," he grunted derisively.

"Not a problem," she replied back, obviously not the least bit cowed by his dripping sarcasm.

"I don't suppose you can make this easy on me and spark a light, could you?"

"I'm not a Firebender."

Her answer left Zuko muttering under his breath in disgust. "Of course you're not," he mumbled as his struck the torch against the cave floor, "That would actually make you useful."

The second the cave sparked to life with the flickering flame, Zuko felt the passing wind of Mai's hurled shuriken graze his cheek. Horrified, he reflexively began patting down his cheek, searching for a wound. When he was satisfied that he was unhurt, he glowered at her. "Don't you know who I am?" he cried indignantly. "In case you didn't realize it, I'm the Avatar!"

Mai arched a single eyebrow. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"I could destroy you if I wanted," Zuko informed her stiffly. "You should be grateful for my mercy!"

"Don't hold your breath waiting for it," she retorted dryly.

"What's your problem, you crazy Firebender?"

"I already told you I'm _not_ a Firebender," Mai informed him calmly, "but if you insult me one more time, you'll find out just how crazy I can be."

Zuko glared at her again, but his tone was wisely lowered when he grumbled in exasperation, "Stupid girl."

****

"I found them!" Ty Lee burst out happily. The darkness actually split with her peals of childish delight.

"Yeah, that's great…" Sokka sighed in long-suffering, "Now if you could just manage to _light_ them…"

Seconds later flickering orange light filled the cavern. For the first time, Sokka was able to gain his bearings and assimilate the extent of the damage. A rocky partition had fallen between him and his sister, leaving him with his choice of two separate tunnels while Katara had been left without an exit at all. Appa lay curled near the mouth of one of the caves, bellowing softly while a cringing Momo cowered in his thick fur. The last Sokka had seen Zuko; he had been a few feet from Appa, fending off knife girl. Sokka distinctly remembered there being a third tunnel as well, but now he couldn't discern at all where it had been. The area was sealed off.

Using his head, Sokka beckoned Appa and Momo closer. Without further invitation, the two animals gratefully closed the distance. Unable to pet either one of them, Sokka nuzzled Appa's flank reassuringly and didn't bother scolding Momo when the lemur climbed on top of his head and wrapped himself there. "Don't worry you guys," he murmured, "I'm sure Zuko is just fine."

The assurance wasn't merely empty words either. While possible that Zuko had been injured after the cave roof fell in, it was improbable that he was. If he had managed to avoid major injury without the use of his arms, Sokka was quite certain Zuko had managed to protect himself as well. He also wasn't worried about the prospect of Zuko being stuck with the knife-wielder. While the dark-haired girl had been markedly fierce in her skills with the blade, she was hardly a match for Zuko. Sokka almost felt sorry for the girl. Zuko was likely to flatten her.

Consequently, due to his confidence that Zuko could take care of himself, Sokka's sole focus was on Katara and digging her out of that makeshift rock prison. He was worried about her. More than worried…he was simply _terrified_ at the thought of his baby sister…trapped alone, in the dark with a homicidal lunatic.

Filled with a sense of urgency at the thought, Sokka glanced up at Ty Lee to find her regarding him with an odd, interested smile. He forced himself to ignore that, however, and addressed the more pressing matter of their current circumstances. "Listen," he began pragmatically, "I have, in no way, forgotten you were trying to kill me a minute ago, but we need to work together if we're going to get my sister and your crazy friend out of there. So, for now, we're a team."

Virtually ignoring everything he said, Ty Lee purred, "You're a real cutie, you know that?"

He closed his eyes, lamenting the uselessness of his arms for the moment called for a face-palm. "Try to focus here," he pronounced slowly. "For now, my arms are worthless. You're going to have to do all the digging in the meantime. Start from the top and work your way down. Appa and Momo will help you." The aforementioned emitted bellows and chitters of protest, but Sokka leveled them with a look that brooked no argument. "It's for Katara, guys," he cajoled, "We need to work together if we're going to get her out." When they finally settled down at the reasoning, Sokka turned his attention back to Ty Lee.

"Do not, under any circumstances, pull rocks from the bottom!" he emphasized, "You could cause a rock slide and then we'd really be in trouble." Ty Lee regarded him with a round stare. "Is any of this getting through?" Sokka demanded impatiently.

"So do you have a girlfriend?" Ty Lee asked him.

Sighing deeply, Sokka turned a glance towards a nearby boulder. "You couldn't have fallen a few inches to the left, could you?" he admonished the weathered stone. "Oh no, of course not…because that would have put me out of my misery."

Ty Lee giggled. "You're funny. Do you always talk to rocks?"

"Only when I want to have an intelligent conversation," Sokka deadpanned. "You're supposed to be digging, remember?"

"Oh right!" Ty Lee exclaimed, snapping her fingers in afterthought, "Azula!" He watched Appa took his position near the wall and Ty Lee scrambled into his saddle. As she did, Momo began diligently removing the smaller rocks he could handle and flying them to the opposite side of the cave.

With the torch still in one hand, Ty Lee attempted to dislodge rocks with her free one. After a few minutes of grunting and fruitless pushing, however, she darted back down to where Sokka sat and said, "Those rocks are too heavy for me to move with just one hand." She thrust the torch at him. "Would you mind holding this for me?"

Sokka could only hang his head in groaning chagrin.

****

"Just so you know," Azula sang out casually to Katara, "I'm going to kill you when we get out of here."

"You'll try," Katara bit back. They glowered at one another across the expanse separating them. "How are you even here at all?" Katara demanded with a grimace, "I was sure you'd died when Roku's temple collapsed."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Azula retorted cheekily.

"And if you survived…" Katara murmured to herself, "…then that must mean that Aang survived too."

The hope that flared in her tone beckoned Azula to crush it into dust. "Not necessarily," she drawled in a catty tone, "I was born with a strong sense of self-preservation."

"In other words, you left him there to die, didn't you?" Katara spat angrily.

Azula shrugged. "What can I say? Survival of the fittest and all that."

"You're a sick monster," Katara hissed in disgust. "I can't imagine how someone as cruel and awful as you could be related to someone like Aang!"

"You're not the only one," Azula scoffed, "I've wondered the same thing myself sometimes." Katara regarded her with a revolted sneer, which provoked a small snort of exasperation from the Fire Nation princess. "Oh, please! Don't tell me my brother managed to dazzle even his enemies!" she laughed. But the feral hatred burning in Katara's eyes was entirely too personal. "He _did_ get to you," she snorted softly, "Aang the Perfect, Aang the Wise, _Aang the nauseating favorite_! I've heard it all before and frankly the endless accounts of how daring and true he was began to bore me a long time ago."

"You're not even sorry he's dead, are you?" Katara accused her in a hateful whisper, the tears in her eyes sparkling in the dimness.

"Why should I be sorry?" Azula queried, not bothering to correct Katara in her misconception. "He was a fool and an ingrate! Everything he had was presented to him on a silver platter. He had the adoration of our grandfather, our parents and our people! He was gifted and talented…the heir to a mighty nation with a golden future…and then he turned his back on all of it as if it were _nothing_! He spit on it! He became a traitor to his people!"

"He was trying to save the world!" Katara flashed back, "But I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that since you're so bent on destroying it!"

Azula stifled a delicate yawn with the back of her hand. "You're putting me to sleep."

"I don't know how you sleep at all," Katara muttered.

Not surprisingly, the firebending princess merely turned her lips up in an amused smirk at that. "I sleep just fine."

****

There were a myriad of tunnels before them, crisscrossing their path with choices. Zuko had no idea which one he should take. Unfortunately for him, Sokka had the map and Zuko didn't know where to find him or Katara right then either. He was literally on his own. He knew if he wanted to make it out of there alive, he was going to need to rely on his instincts. With a confidence he didn't necessarily feel, Zuko strode forward and took the first cave entrance he came to. Mai followed behind silently. However, the hope that they'd made any progress towards freedom was promptly dashed when they emerged half an hour later in the exact same spot where they'd begun.

"Well, that was progressive," Mai commended in a sardonic tone.

Zuko pinned her with an icy glower. "It's not like you're being much help," he retorted, "So you don't get to complain, okay!"

"Can't you just earthbend your way out of here so that we don't have to…you know…walk in circles?"

"I…I haven't learned yet," Zuko snapped back defensively. "Unfortunately, I was on my way to Omashu to do just that when _you_ attacked me!"

"Oh well. You would have wasted the trip anyway," Mai told him. "Omashu fell days ago."

"Your handiwork, no doubt," Zuko jeered.

"So you don't know any type of earthbending at all?" she pressed.

"Are you hard of hearing? I…have…not…learned…yet…" Zuko articulated obnoxiously.

Mai snorted. "Hmph…now who's useless?" she mumbled.

"That would still be you," Zuko fired, "It's not like you've provided any actual aid in this situation! I mean, if sarcasm and passive insults was all we needed for survival, then we'd be set!"

"Weren't you the one singing your own praises a little while ago," Mai reminded him. "You're the Avatar…do something avatar-y. Go on. Dazzle me."

The air quotes she added on the end of her statement were the final insult. Zuko wanted desperately to wipe that smug smirk off her face. Unfortunately, he was unable to put her in her place. He hemmed and hawed, but there was no disputing that he was just as helpless in their situation as she was. Finally, he bit out, "I'm not a circus animal. I don't perform tricks on command!"

"But you do perform tricks?" Mai countered, unsmiling.

Her dry response kicked off a round of growled ranting from Zuko. "You are so…" He growled again, fisting his hands tightly in order to keep from strangling her. "I really think I despise you!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Mai dismissed, "You don't even know me."

"I know enough!" he spat. "I know you're Fire Nation and you're friends with Azula, who, by the way, must have the survival instincts of a mountain cat! Or maybe Evil just never dies!"

"Is this rant supposed to make sense to me?" Mai yawned.

"The point is," Zuko stressed lividly, "you're a bad person! You tried to _kill_ me a little while ago!"

"You're so over-dramatic. If I'd wanted you dead, then you would be," Mai told him.

The urge to throttle her resurged with amazing force. "Just don't talk to me," Zuko snapped capriciously.

"With pleasure," Mai returned. "You're not exactly what I'd call a conversationalist anyway."

Zuko snorted a laugh. "That's almost hilarious coming from someone who has all the personality of lukewarm soup!"

Mai regarded him with a cool, dispassionate stare. "Are you attempting to bait me right now?"

"_What are you?_" Zuko cried in exasperation.

"Did no one ever explain this to you?" she asked, deliberately taking his exclamation seriously. "_I_ am a girl. And _you_ are what passes for a boy."

"I'm sure of it now," Zuko declared matter-of-factly, "I _do_ hate you."

"Is that supposed to bother me? Did I somehow give you the misconception that I wanted to be friends?"

"You're absolutely heartless, aren't you?" he sneered scathingly. "That's probably how your nation trains all of you little fire brats…to be cold, detached killing machines! You sicken me!"

"Fire brats?" Mai echoed dryly. "Is that the _best_ you can do?"

"You've probably never cared about anyone or anything in your whole indulged, self-absorbed life, have you?" Zuko ground out. "You have no idea what it's like to endure heartbreak or lose someone or…or to stand for something that's bigger than yourself. You're so insignificant…your world is so tiny, you don't even know it!"

"You don't know a thing about me," Mai reiterated.

"And I don't want to," Zuko concluded, giving her a repulsed once-over. "I can count on one hand how many good things have come out of the Fire Nation!"

"For someone who's supposed to be about peace, justice and impartiality, you sure sound mighty intolerant and irrational to me," Mai remarked thoughtfully.

Zuko barked a short, ironic laugh. "I'm intolerant and irrational? Who was trying to kill who a little while ago?"

"The very fact you're taking that personally just makes my point for me."

"How exactly am I _supposed_ to take it?" Zuko flared dubiously, shoving his face within inches of hers. "I get like that when my life is in danger!"

Mai flinched inwardly at his increased volume, but maintained her cool demeanor even as she and Zuko stood nose to nose. "Well, I can see that you're as unreasonable as you are surly," Mai observed, "so perhaps we should end this conversation now."

"Perhaps, we should go one better than that," Zuko suggested. "You go your way and I'll go mine."

"Gladly." Mai turned on her heel and began walking towards the adjacent tunnels, her figure growing dimmer as she retreated in the murky interior.

"Good luck getting out of here without any torch light!" Zuko taunted.

"Bite me," came her retreating, unconcerned reply.

The young Avatar growled anew, frustrated that he didn't seem to aggravate her nearly as much as _she_ aggravated him. He was in the middle of convincing himself that he absolutely did not care that she was essentially trotting off to her own destruction when a sudden, ominous growl echoed through the empty caverns. Zuko froze, only to leap in terror when Mai suddenly reemerged out of the darkness, her features drained of color and trembling with fear.

"On second thought," she amended, "Maybe it would be wiser if we stuck together."

"I think so too," Zuko agreed, casting a careful look around their surroundings, hoping and _not_ hoping to find the source of the noise they'd heard earlier. The growl sounded again, further away than before, but still just as threatening.

"What do you think it is?" Mai asked fearfully.

"How should I know?" Zuko snapped irritably. "Probably something very large and very hungry, knowing my luck."

"Great," Mai replied unenthusiastically.

"We should keep walking," Zuko advised, "A motionless meal is an easy one."

"Very succinctly put."

"And very true."

They walked aimlessly for another hour, stopping to rest only when exhaustion overcame pride. The further they traveled into the underground burrows, the more maze-like the caverns became. In addition to that disheartening realization, both Zuko and Mai were painfully aware that their light source was quickly dwindling. In another thirty minutes they would be plunged into total darkness once again, alone with whatever was causing that awful snarling sound. It wasn't a welcome prospect for either one of them.

"So I was thinking," Mai began in a deceptively casual tone, "we're probably going to die down here…"

"Seems likely," Zuko agreed grimly.

"…and it'll probably take awhile…"

"A week at the most, if no one finds us," Zuko clarified. "My friend has all of the supplies. We won't survive very long without water."

"So we're dead," Mai concluded matter-of-factly.

"Yup."

"…and we're going to be together when it happens…"

"What's your point?"

"It seems ridiculous not to know your name if I'm supposed to watch you die in inches," she said, "Though technically I won't _see_ you do it…there's still the principle involved."

Zuko stared at her in blank surprise, _really_ looking at her for the first time since their confinement. He noticed then how incredibly pretty she was. Suddenly, she wasn't just a girl who was trying to kill him…she was a _girl_. His heart struck up a strange, discordant beat in his chest, even as he reasoned to himself that the new feeling was nothing. Yet, at that particular moment, he still couldn't stop staring at her. With her pale skin, dark hair and almond shaped eyes; she was a stunning sight to behold…for Fire Nation anyway.

"You want to know my name?" Zuko demanded with a befuddled frown.

"You do have one, right?"

He had to do a double-take because he could almost swear she was teasing him. "Zuko," he provided warily after a beat of silence. And then he relaxed altogether and extended his hand. "My name is Zuko."

"I'm Mai," she replied, offering him a small, tentative smile as pumped his hand briefly and permanently changing the dynamic between them without even realizing it.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

**A/N: Grace, it's a little of both. I've written ahead and I'm writing as I go along. Although, I've only posted up to this chapter, I'm actually on Chapter 34. I'm trying to stay 9 or 10 chapters ahead of what I post so I can make changes and corrections if necessary. My policy is that I try not to post a new chapter until I've written one. That's been working out okay so far. My readers get fairly regular updates and I don't feel under pressure.**

**zebradonkey, this probably won't be my last Avatar fic, but right now, I don't have another planned immediately after this one. This one is taking a lot out of me because it's the longest one I've written so far and it has bit more action in it than I like to deal with, lol. So, a break is in order after this. What happens after that? Who knows?**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

When Katara, at last, spied an orange, spitting glow filtering through the rocks near the top of the hole, she knew that salvation was at hand and it had not come a moment too soon. One more minute alone with the _Fire Nation princess_ and she would not have been responsible for her actions. "Thank you, thank you," she whispered to herself. And then she informed Azula in a begrudging tone, "They're starting to break through. I think we're going to get out of here soon."

"It took them long enough!" Azula complained huffily.

Katara started to retort that perhaps it would have gone faster if she'd been inclined to _help_, but the sharp rejoinder was forgotten when Sokka chose to poke his head through the small opening he'd made. Katara grinned with relief to see him. "How you doing down there?" he asked her.

"Ready to get out of this hole," Katara answered.

"Just sit tight for a few more minutes. Ty Lee and I are going to make the hole bigger and then we'll get you out," Sokka said. He leveled a warning glare at Azula, who sat on the opposite side of the small space looking thoroughly uninterested. "Keep away from my sister," he warned direly.

Azula swirled the flickering fire within her palm in general disinterest. "I'll try to control myself," she replied sardonically. After Sokka disappeared back through the hole, she flicked Katara with a thoughtful glance. "Hmm…siblings that don't want to murder each other…what a novel concept."

"Maybe you find it novel because I actually _love_ my brother," Katara drawled caustically.

Rather than being cowed by the condemnation in Katara's tone, Azula merely shrugged. "I'd expect such foolish reasoning from you."

"And I'd expect such cruel heartlessness from you!" Katara flung back.

Azula flopped back into the rocks with an aggravated groan. "Ty Lee!" she barked impatiently, "Exactly how long does it take to make a hole?"

A few seconds later, Ty Lee's voice drifted down to them. "Okay, I think the hole's big enough now," she said, "You can climb up!"

Outside of the opening, Katara could hear Sokka set up protest over that. "Hey, why does _she _get to come out first? I think my sister should come out!"

"I did most of the digging," Ty Lee pointed out.

"And it's your own fault that you had to!" Sokka lashed back. "Maybe if you hadn't chopped my arms into uselessness I could have provided more help!"

"Holding grudges is really bad for your aura," Ty Lee advised. Below them, in an unprecedented moment, Azula and Katara rolled their eyes in unison.

"I don't trust you," Sokka argued tightly, "and I don't trust _her_! There's no way I'm going to be out here alone with the two of you! My sister comes out first!"

While Katara made an attempt to calm Sokka and referee the bickering match between him and Ty Lee, Azula shoved past Katara and rendered the entire argument moot. She bounded up the rock wall with the fleet agility of an acrobat and climbed through the small opening towards the top. When she came out on the other side into Appa's saddle, she smirked at the disgruntled expression on Sokka's face.

"You may get your sister now," she said.

Grumbling insults under his breath the entire time, Sokka turned his attention towards pulling Katara free while Azula and Ty Lee dismounted from Appa and found a quiet corner to converse. "Where is Mai?" Azula demanded when she and her friend had a modicum of privacy.

"I haven't seen her since before I entered the cave," Ty Lee replied. "I don't know where she is. I hope she's okay."

"Mai's like a cat," Azula dismissed, unconcerned, "She'll be fine." She tapped her chin in thoughtful consideration. "It's possible she's with the Avatar then," she murmured, more to herself than to Ty Lee. "This entire situation might work out in our favor after all."

"If we ever make it out of here," Ty Lee added gravely.

"And that depends entirely on _me_," Sokka announced from behind them.

****

"It's a door!"

Zuko squinted in the dimness, unable to believe his eyes. He blinked several times, afraid that the sight might disappear altogether, like a shimmering mirage in a hot, desert wasteland. But it did not disappear. Less than twenty feet away at the end of the corridor was a large, round door that stretched from floor to ceiling. He and Mai drifted closer for inspection.

"Do you think it's the way out?" she wondered aloud.

"It has to be," Zuko reasoned. "It's the only door we've come across."

"Well, finding it doesn't help much." She heaved against the heavy metal briefly. "It's sealed shut."

"I'll take care of it," he said.

"You?" Mai snorted dubiously.

Sour-faced, Zuko rudely shoved the torch at her. "Hold this," he ordered, "And stand back."

Though still amused, Mai dutifully fulfilled the command. Her low expectations quickly transformed into silent awe when he blew down the door with one mighty thrust of air from his arm. He threw back a triumphant look at Mai, but she didn't betray a glimmer of the amazement she felt. "Big deal. You broke some wind," she said. "Should I applaud?"

"You're a very miserable girl, you know that?"

"So says the equally miserable boy," Mai returned wryly.

Zuko growled, partly because he was frustrated with himself for wanting to impress her in the first place and partly because Mai remained unimpressed. "Let's just get out of here," he declared brusquely. "I'm sure you're just as eager to be out of my presence as I am to be out of yours."

However, his hopes that the door led to an exit were dashed immediately upon entering the large room. There wasn't any sign of light or life at all, simply more tunnels and more darkness. As they walked deeper into the gloomy recesses of the room, Zuko gradually became aware of what they had found. "Look," he said, pointing to the two large tombs situated on top of a marbled dais, "I think is a mausoleum. This must be where the two lovers were buried."

"Excuse me?" Mai uttered, her countenance flashing with the first bit of emotion since her earlier scare. "Did you just say we're in a tomb…for dead people?"

"People found in tombs are usually dead, Mai."

She took a reflexive step backwards and pointed towards one of the cave openings on the far side of the room. "I'll be over there. Feel free to hang out with the dead people."

"Wait a minute," Zuko cried before she could walk away and take the light with her. He stooped down and noticed the vivid drawings on the base of the dais. The paintings were surprisingly preserved, having been protected from the elements for centuries. He beckoned Mai closer. "Look at this…it must be the story of the two lovers."

Mai reluctantly rejoined him and asked, "What two lovers?"

"My friend told me a story about these two lovers who couldn't be together," Zuko recounted quickly, "So they built these tunnels so that they could be."

"Whuh?"

"Okay, I'm probably not telling it right," Zuko conceded, "But the whole legend is right here. The pictures tell their story."

Mai held the torchlight closer, taking note of the first painting which depicted a man and a woman meeting atop a mountain. "So this is where they met," she concluded as she followed the line of pictures that recounted the tale, "Apparently, this mountain divided their villages." She moved on to the next image which showed an actual battle between those two villages. The man and the woman were in the middle and they were being dragged apart. "So their villages were enemies and they couldn't be together." Mai moved on to the next painting, which revealed that the man and woman had little intention of letting the conflict between their villages stop them. "But their love for each other was strong and they found a way."

She traced her fingers over the depiction that followed; that of a badger-mole. The man and the woman were folded low to the ground in a reverent bow before the animal. "They learned earthbending from the badger-moles," Mai recounted, "and became the first Earthbenders." Moving on to the next set of images, she and Zuko received a history lesson on the labyrinth of tunnels, the story of their beginning. "They built these tunnels so they could be together and would meet here in secret," Mai went on, "They created a maze of them so that anyone who might try to follow them would be lost forever." She and Zuko exchanged an ironic look at that. "Great," they mumbled simultaneously.

"But one day the man didn't come," Zuko picked up, noting the portrait of the woman, sitting alone and waiting. The next image was of her laying a single flower at the mouth of the cave. "He died in the war between their two villages," he went on. "Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power."

Zuko carefully studied the carnage wrought through the villages as a result of the woman's wrath, likening it to the rage he often experienced while in the avatar state. He couldn't help but find the similarities between himself and the nameless woman eerie. As far as Zuko was concerned, that was the most compelling part of the entire story. The realization that the woman had struggled with the same powerful anger he did somehow made her character more real to him than the underwhelming account of her tragic love story.

However, rather than finding images depicting the results of her destructive fury, as he fully expected, what Zuko saw next in the story of pictures surprised him greatly. "Instead of destroying them all, she declared the war over," he said, "and ushered in an era of peace."

The final painting depicted the woman standing atop a high column of earth while the villagers cheered her below. "Both villages helped her build a new city where they all lived together as one people," Zuko went on. "The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu, so they called the city they built Omashu, in honor of the lovers." The final portrait was that of the great, gleaming city and the profiled image of the two lovers kissing above it. "Love is brightest in the dark." Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to decipher what that last part meant. A quick glance at Mai revealed that she was equally confused.

They traded silent glances with each other, pensively mulling over the information they'd just learned and reluctant to voice aloud what they truly thought of the legend. After a few minutes, however, Mai finally shattered the pregnant silence between them and spoke.

"Well…" she began in a gently thoughtful tone that seemed to preface her intention to say something incredibly profound, "That was probably one of the _stupidest, pointless,_ _corniest_ stories I have ever heard. That's several minutes of precious life I won't ever get back!"

Zuko gaped at her in choking surprise. "What?"

"Come on, Zuko," she scoffed. "Enemies becoming lovers? Yeah, right. I'm supposed to believe that this woman was willing to turn her back on her family, her friends and _everything_ she knew to be with some guy who happened to be her enemy? And then they didn't even go someplace romantic. They met down here, where it's all damp and icky and gross. Yuck. Are you kidding me? If they were _that_ desperate to be together, couldn't they have just run away from home? Did they _have_ to meet down here with the night-crawlers?"

"_That's_ the biggest problem you had with the story?" Zuko snorted, relieved to discover that she seemed as largely unimpressed with the legend as he had been. "What about the fact that they didn't _do_ anything productive at all? Are we supposed to be overcome with emotion because they were forbidden lovers? So what! They were useless! They had these awesome abilities, this incredible power and yet instead of using that power to put an end to the warring factions between their villages, they built tunnels just so they could make-out? What's that about?"

"I know, right?" Mai agreed heartily. "I mean, the first worthwhile thing Oma ever did was to take control of the situation, but even that was too late since Shu was already dead." Mai expelled an unenthused sigh. "I realize this is supposed to be a great love story, but I think Oma and Shu were a pair of idiots."

"Wow…we actually agree on something."

In the dwindling firelight, Zuko and Mai surveyed one another with a degree of surprise, intrigued and compelled by how similar their thought processes were. Mai had found very few people her age who could appreciate her particular brand of practicality. She certainly hadn't expected the hotheaded young Avatar to appreciate it and yet…the expression on his face spoke volumes. He not only appreciated her cynical viewpoint…he _shared_ it too. Mai was stunned beyond words. Zuko had turned out to be an unlikely kindred spirit, found in the unlikeliest of places.

Zuko, too, was surprised by the commonalities between them. It was strange and disconcerting to find someone who understood him so thoroughly and effortlessly, even without really _knowing_ him at all. It was especially confusing when that person happened to be his enemy _and_ his life was likely to be cut short. It was tantamount to finding a treasure trove full of gold and being unable to touch it or spend it. Zuko didn't understand why, if he had the capacity to feel such an overwhelming connection to another human being, did he have to feel it right then and with Mai, of all people? It felt as if some great, unknown force was at work…something he didn't at all understand. Quite suddenly, the Oma/Shu legend didn't seem quite as ridiculous as it had before.

He studied Mai with open curiosity, as if seeing her through new eyes. "So you really didn't like the story at all?" he prodded.

Mai shrugged. "It was a nice history lesson."

Zuko sputtered a laugh. "I thought girls ate up this sort of romantic foolishness."

"I'm not your typical girl," Mai answered. "And besides, don't make assumptions. Some _boys_ eat this stuff up too. I have a friend who would be all over this legend. He's a romantic at heart. I'm a realist."

"Yeah, I've got a friend like that too," Zuko muttered sympathetically, "I think being that soft hearted can be a dangerous thing."

"It's like they're a completely different species, isn't it?" Mai remarked wryly. She lifted the torch to illuminate the granite profile, carving of the two lovers kissing beyond the tomb, kept apart in life, but united in death. Mai shook her head. "I don't get it. Is love _really_ that strong? Is there really a person out there for you that is worth sacrificing _everything_ for…even your life?"

Feeling a little sheepish over her rhetorical musings, Mai turned a glance towards Zuko, expecting to find him regarding her with eye rolling disdain, but instead she discovered he was watching her with the oddest expression on his face. She didn't need to ask him why he was staring at her. Some part of Mai already knew. It was the same reason _she_ was staring at him…she couldn't look away. They held each other's gazes for a long time before Zuko finally glanced away. When he did, Mai was a bit horrified to realize she was blushing.

"I don't know," Zuko whispered thoughtfully as he stared at the kissing façade of the two lovers, "I think…maybe love _is_ that strong sometimes."

****

"I have the map," Sokka informed Azula and Ty Lee flatly, "So if you want to get out of here alive, I suggest you start listening to me."

Azula arched a single eyebrow in challenge. "I could take it from you," she threatened.

The moment she did, Appa planted himself between Sokka and the Fire Nation princess with a low, menacing growl. Sokka tipped a glance around the bison's massive girth. "I wouldn't advise it," he replied cheekily. Azula sneered at him, but after tangling with Appa earlier, wisely did not cross the large, shaggy beast. "Now then," Sokka began, satisfied he had his enemies' attention, "This is how it's going to be. You and your friend will answer to my sister and me. You will do what we say, when we say."

"I don't take orders from peasants," Azula scoffed.

"You do when said peasants control your water supply," Katara threw back, giving her water-skins a jiggle for emphasis. Azula glared at her and Katara smirked at the knowledge she'd managed to cow the haughty princess.

"Ty Lee and I don't have to travel with you at all," Azula retorted. "We're perfectly capable of finding our on way."

"Go for it and die trying," Sokka invited. "You'll just be one less person trying to kill us in the end."

"Maybe we should stop fighting and stick together for now," Ty Lee reasoned uncomfortably. She bounced a cringing look around the interior of the cave. "Who knows what creepy-crawly things live down here?"

"I want to see the map," Azula demanded skeptically.

"You're going to have to trust me," Sokka said.

Azula's eyes narrowed into menacing slits at his reply. "I don't trust anyone."

"Well," Sokka chirped, "there's a first time for everything."

The next events unfolded for Sokka in a yelping blur. Katara swiftly yanked him to safety before Azula's fire blast could hit its mark. Azula was prepared for Appa's swishing attack and cart-wheeled atop his tail on the upswing. An unsuspecting Ty Lee was nailed and blown off her feet. Azula dove through the air, straight at Sokka. Katara lashed her with a powerful water-whip, ending Azula's impromptu flight and knocking the agile princess to the ground.

Suddenly, the cave was filled with a piercing whooshing sound. Combat was immediately forgotten. Seconds later a flock of fluttering wolf-bats burst from an adjacent cave and began swarming them. The cave echoed with the sounds of the wolf-bats' high-pitched shrieks, Momo's anxious squawking, Appa's confused bellows and Ty Lee and Katara's girlish screams of disgusted terror.

Sokka indulged in a brief moment of amusement, surveying the comical crush of confusion. Katara and Ty Lee especially made him laugh. He was amazed that such deadly and proficient fighters could be reduced to unintelligible hysterics over a few bats. Only Azula was proactive. She zapped bats left and right with accurate and deadly aim.

"They're not going to hurt you," he cried over the melee, "They're running from something!"

"Brilliant observation!" the Fire Nation princess snapped sarcastically, "Now, instead of standing there like a useless imbecile, perhaps, you can help me exterminate the vermin!"

He opened his mouth to tell her it was, "_please_, useless imbecile," but never had the opportunity to voice the snappy rejoinder aloud. The cave began to rumble anew. Sokka's eyes widened with horror. "Stop it!" he warned Azula sharply, "You're going to cause another cave in!" Predictably, Azula didn't listen and Sokka, left with few options, tackled his sister to the ground as the surrounding walls began to crumble. He shielded her with his own body, screwing his eyes shut in anticipation of the impending collapse.

But the ceiling didn't come down and, upon realizing he hadn't been crushed, Sokka gratefully opened his eyes…and then wished he hadn't. Less than forty feet away was an incredibly large, incredibly hungry-looking badger-mole.

****

"Another few minutes and we'll have no more light," Zuko informed Mai morbidly. "What do you want to do?"

She sat down at the base of the tomb with a resigned sigh. "I guess we should make ourselves comfortable."

Zuko folded down beside her, aware of their grim circumstances but not quite as willing as Mai to accept them. "I've been thinking…" he said.

"Don't hurt yourself now."

He made a face over her attempt at levity. "Do you want to hear this or not?" he demanded tersely.

"Go ahead," she invited.

"Well, I was thinking about that last line in the story," he said, "'Love is brightest in the dark.' Maybe that means something. Maybe it's some kind of riddle."

"What kind?"

"Light," Zuko revealed, "Maybe there's something we can do to illuminate the interior of this place. Maybe that's what the whole quote means."

"I haven't noticed any fire sconces around here," Mai replied. "Believe me, I've looked."

"It's a riddle, Mai," he pointed out dryly, "It's not going to be _that_ obvious."

"Okay, then why don't you share _your_ idea to make the lights magically flicker on?" Mai challenged.

"Kissing," Zuko declared dramatically. "I think we should kiss."

Though not a single muscle in Mai's face so much as twitched in reaction, her next words to him made her feelings on the matter perfectly clear. "Have you lost your mind?"

"It makes sense!" Zuko insisted. He swiveled around to point at the kissing statue behind them. "_That_ image is all through this place. It has to mean something!"

"Yeah, that they were lovers and they liked kissing," Mai sighed.

"Don't dismiss this, okay," Zuko maintained stubbornly. "Maybe if we kissed, we could make something happen."

"Something like what?" she snorted, "My gag reflex?"

"I'm not saying you have to like it, but it's an idea, at least! I think it could work!"

"And I think that you're a pervert," Mai returned dryly, "Second of all, the quote said '_love_ is brightest in the dark.' _Love_, Zuko. I barely even like you, much less love you. Third of all, I don't want to kiss you."

"Would you rather die of dehydration and starvation instead?" Zuko proposed.

She squinted at him in seemingly serious consideration. "It's tempting."

Rather than losing his temper as he had in the past in similar situations, Zuko tried a different tact and attempted cajolery instead. "I don't want to die here, Mai," he implored, "I have this whole destiny I'm supposed to fulfill and I already failed the world once. My people died because of it. Please…_please_…I don't want to fail again."

He wasn't the type to say "please" very often, Mai suspected. The fact that he said it to her moved her for some perplexing reason. There was that and the secret truth that she didn't find the idea of kissing him all that disgusting. She regarded him silently, her impassive veneer slipping for the first time to reveal exactly how conflicted she was.

"Even if we do get out, that doesn't mean you're going to fulfill your destiny," she argued, "Azula won't stop hunting you. Her father is determined to destroy you and she's determined to please him."

"I'd still like to survive to find out for myself."

Groaning with reluctance, Mai flicked a glance towards their rapidly dwindling torch and then back to Zuko's earnest features. "Okay, okay," she relented waspishly. "Let's just get this over with before I change my mind."

Without preamble and little fanfare, they both leaned into each other with all the enthusiasm of facing a firing squad. Noses bumped, foreheads collided and the undertaking resulted in little more than awkward head turning and personal injury. "Wait a minute," Mai huffed when Zuko made yet another lunging attempt to kiss her, "Haven't you ever done this before?"

Zuko prayed devoutly that dimness did a remarkable job of concealing his reddened cheeks. "Well, I…um…well…"

Mai narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How old are you anyway?" she demanded suddenly.

"Thirteen," Zuko declared strongly, "…_and_ _a_ _half_," he tacked on for good measure. His bold emphasis didn't escape Mai's notice. She smirked. "How old are you?" Zuko asked.

"Fifteen _and_ a half."

"Oh," Zuko replied, surprised to discover she was older than him, but then capriciously deciding he rather liked it that way. "Somehow, I thought you were younger."

"Somehow, I thought you were older," Mai countered cheekily. "So you didn't answer my question," she pressed, "Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

"No, I haven't," Zuko confessed sullenly.

"Neither have I," Mai revealed in a self-conscious murmur. "This is my first kiss…and probably my last, so if you could try _not_ to make it a horrible experience, I'd appreciate it."

Zuko nodded, inexplicably more relaxed in the wake of her candid revelation than he had been in the beginning. Suddenly, he felt inundated with the need to take his time and enjoy the experience in spite of the less than ideal circumstances. He feathered his fingers across her cheek, marveling over the creamy smoothness of her warm skin. "You're really pretty, Mai," he whispered.

"So are you," she whispered back.

Their lips met in a tentative kiss, as soft as expulsion of breath but with the undeniable profundity of age old lovers. When the torch, at last, sputtered out, only to reveal the bright green crystals in the roof of the cave lightening the darkness, Mai and Zuko didn't even notice.

****

The badger-mole stalked them efficiently, quite at home in his native element. Their attempts to scatter and run to safety down adjacent tunnels didn't fare well, as the animal seemed quite adept at bending them back to where he wanted them. Cornered and frustrated, Azula took a fiery shot at him, but was pelted through the air before she'd even finished executing the move. She landed with a muted thud on the other side of the cavern. As she lay motionless, Ty Lee, Sokka, Katara and Momo cringed together beneath Appa as the badger-mole closed in.

"P-P-Please large and scary mole," Ty Lee trilled out in a sing-song tone of trembling fear, "P-Please, p-please don't eat me."

Quite unexpectedly, the badger-mole stopped and cocked his head at Ty Lee, regarded her with dark, fathomless eyes. Sokka gave the terrified acrobat an anxious nudge. "Do that again," he said.

"Do what?" Ty Lee cried.

"Sing to it," Sokka told her, "I think it likes to hear you sing to it."

"But…but I don't know any good songs!" Ty Lee wailed. "And what should I sing? Should it be a love ballad, something you can dance to…what?"

"Just sing anything!" Katara yelled as the badger-mole began to growl anew.

"Um…uh…don't fall in love with a traveling girl…" Ty Lee began shakily, "…she'll leave you, leave you brokenhearted…"

"It's working," Sokka breathed in relief as the animal hunkered down on all fours to listen, "Keep singing."

"I will on one condition," Ty Lee chirped melodiously, her eyes glued on the massive animal curled before her, "Check on Azuuuula and make sure she's alriiiiight…"

Sokka groaned his exasperation with her request and sang back, "Why must there always be a catch?"

****

Mai broke the kiss long before Zuko was ready and right at the point where he was starting to _really_ get into it. Zuko attempted to reestablish contact, but she staved off his attempt to press his lips to hers once more. "Look," she said, gesturing towards the ceiling where the low glow from the crystals cast their bodies with a greenish hue, "You were right after all."

Zuko stared about them in amazement, half disappointed, half proud. "I was right," he breathed, "That almost _never_ happens."

"Well, come on," Mai suggested, pushing to her feet before extending her hand to help him to his. "Let's get out of here."

"Mai, um…about what just happened with us…" Zuko hedged.

"Forget about it, Zuko," she replied before he could finish. "It was a fluke. I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Right," Zuko agreed after a rough swallow. "We're on opposite sides of the war. It would never work out." He regarded her with a penetrating stare, as if he hoped she would dispute the statement.

But she didn't. Instead, she nodded her head in agreement. "You're right. We're on opposite sides." Mai didn't let herself dwell on why that particular fact suddenly disappointed her. "Come on," she said again, "Let's go."

Half an hour later, they burst out into the intense afternoon sun with relieved sighs. "I never thought I'd be so happy to be outside," Mai gushed, turning her face up towards the sky.

"I never thought I'd actually see you happy at all," Zuko replied wryly.

Mai pivoted to level him with a half smirk. "Did you just make a joke?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I did. You bring out a weird side in me."

They regarded one another with tentative smiles before Mai's face reverted back to its usual impassive mask. "I suppose I should attack you now," she sighed reluctantly.

"Is that want you want?" he asked.

"No," she answered without a bit of hesitation, "I don't want to attack you."

"Why don't you?" Zuko wondered aloud.

_Because_ _I_ _like_ _you_, Mai answered in her heart. But she didn't dare voice that out loud, so she said instead, "I owed a friend. Aang asked me not to let Azula capture you, so I guess this was the least I could do. Don't get used to it."

Zuko's eyes flared wide with shock. "What do you mean Aang asked you?" he demanded in disbelief, "He's _alive_?"

Even after learning Azula had survived the cave in at Roku's temple; it had never even occurred to Zuko that Aang might have survived too. Perhaps, because he'd convinced himself that, given Aang indomitable spirit, if his friend _were_ alive, Aang would have made his way back to them somehow. But Aang didn't come back and Zuko was afraid to let himself hope. Now however, Zuko's heart thumped rapidly with that burgeoning hope even while, in his head, he was afraid to believe it.

"He's really alive?"

"Yeah," Mai confirmed with a slight frown over his curious reaction, "He's alive."

The Avatar hardly had a moment to assimilate that revelation, however, because the mountainside behind them suddenly burst apart in an explosion of rock and debris. Zuko and Mai ducked, instinctively curling into each other as they were pelted with dirt. Once the dust cleared, Zuko was able to make out Katara and Sokka through the murk as he and Mai scrambled to their feet. They were riding on the back of Appa and closely followed by large badger-mole. Azula was shooting a steady barrage of blue fire at them.

"Come on, Zuko!" Sokka screamed when he caught sight of his friend on the rapidly retreating ground as Appa took to the air with a grateful bellow, "Get up here now!"

No sooner had he given the command than Zuko found himself under assault from Mai's spraying knife attack. He bounded backwards, narrowly missing the glinting blades, and glared at her in shocked confusion. "We've got to make this look good," she told him as Ty Lee and Azula flipped from the badgermole's back and came charging, "Get out of here!"

Upon realizing her attempt to protect and help him, Zuko's admiration for Mai grew to new heights. "I want to see you again!" he said, dodging both her attacks and Azula's whizzing fireballs.

She scowled at him. "Zuko, don't be stupid! Get out of here now!"

"Promise me! I need to see you!"

"Fine! Whatever! I promise!" she snapped as she hurled a shuriken right at his head, one he missed just barely. "Now go!"

Satisfied, Zuko bent himself up into a swirling vortex of wind which blew back his assailants and catapulted his body into Appa's saddle and out of Azula's firing range. The last glimpse he had of Mai was of her standing on a large boulder below, watching him fly away as Azula and Ty Lee came to flank her. Even when her eyes were no longer visible, Zuko could feel Mai's trenchant stare even across the retreating distance between them.

"That was so close," Katara breathed, "For a moment, I wasn't sure you were going to make it." She wrapped him in a relieved hug, so preoccupied and relieved that she didn't at first notice the strange, wistful expression on his face. But, after a moment, it became apparent that Zuko's mind was elsewhere. She reared back to regard him with a bewildered frown, which only deepened when she saw the expression on his face.

"Are…are you smiling?" she guffawed.

"What?" Sokka exploded incredulously as if she'd just announced that Azula had landed in the saddle, "Did you just say Zuko's smiling?" From his perch atop Appa's head, Sokka twisted around for a look of his own, certain Katara was exaggerating. She was not. _Zuko was smiling_. "What's going on?" he cried in a burst of pure panic. "Did that girl do something to you?"

"Even better than that," Zuko sighed almost dreamily. And then he shook his head, making a conscious effort to mask his enamored stupefaction. "You won't believe what she told me."

Katara scowled, a little peeved to discover that some strange girl had accomplished in two hours what she hadn't quite managed in close to two months. "What?" she snorted, "Did she feed you some line about it being a shame to kill you because you were so cute or something?"

"No," Zuko answered, his smile widening with a bit of satisfied triumph, "She told me that Aang is alive."


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter** **Twenty-Seven**

His father was waiting for an answer and, unfortunately, Aang didn't yet have one.

He knew what he _should_ do. He knew what he _wanted _to do. And those two things were very much at odds with one another.

Aang hated himself for being conflicted at all. There were two paths set before him and they were simplistically demarcated. There was a right course and a wrong one and Aang was not confused about which was which. If he chose the former, he would retain his self-respect and honor, but he would likely lose his life, literally and figuratively. If he chose the latter, he would regain his precious relationship with his father, but he would lose his soul in the process. He would become unrecognizable to himself.

Ozai wasn't merely asking for information on the Avatar. His aim wasn't simply to coerce a few secrets from Aang. He wanted nothing less than pure and complete devastation. Because he was well aware that his son had formed a bond with the young demigod, Ozai fully sought to use that friendship to his own advantage. Hunting the Avatar had proven to be a fruitless endeavor and recent reports out of the Earth Kingdom attested to how powerfully formidable the young Avatar was. He was made even more apprehensive by his failure to locate his daughter. The Firelord was not a foolish man. If the Avatar, unrealized and only a child, could devastate armies and armies of Ozai's soldiers almost singlehandedly, what destruction could he possibly wreak once he had learned all the elements?

The Firelord was painfully aware of his precarious circumstances, just as he was aware that a full frontal attack against the Avatar would prove a waste of time. He had to disable the boy from the inside and for that…he would need his son. Only Aang had the opportunity and means to penetrate the Avatar's inner circle and take him down from the inside. Only Aang knew the boy's weaknesses and fears. By breaking his son, Ozai would break the Avatar as well. Two birds with one stone, his son once again at his side and the Avatar swirling dust beneath his feet.

Aang suspected that was his father's ultimate plan and yet there continued to be a part of himself that asked, "Is it worth it?" Ultimately, everything came down to a life or death decision. Was he prepared to die as a martyr…or live as a traitor? The answer was simple and Aang suspected he'd made the decision even before he was really aware of it. Though he had gone back and forth for days, weighing the benefits and the hazards, he had _always_ known. He was going to die for what he believed in and he was going to be hated for it.

When Ozai came to him later that afternoon, Aang didn't even wait for his father to ask the question. He simply said, "No."

Ozai's reaction to his refusal was calmer than Aang had expected. "No?"

"I won't…I _can't_ do what you ask…"

"Is it a question of loyalty?" his father demanded in a silken tone, "Do you feel some misguided allegiance for them, Aang? Have you forgotten that _they_ are the reason you're here? _They_ left you behind."

"They are my friends," Aang whispered, bringing his weary gaze up to meet his father's glacial one. "_He_ is my friend. I won't betray him."

"Is this really what you want?" Ozai spat, his features twisting with rage and disgust. "You think your conditions are untenable now, just you wait!" he threatened. "I will make you wish you had _died_ in your mother's childbed!"

Aang flinched over his father's sudden and complete reversal, hating himself for the disappointed tears that filled his eyes because he should have known better. He should have never allowed himself to hope at all that his father truly did love him and that his refusal to comply with his father's wishes would incur anything besides vicious loathing. "Do what you feel you must, Firelord Ozai," he whispered amid his rolling tears. "My loyalty is to the Avatar and always will be."

Ozai stepped close to the bars, his voice lowered to a vibrating whisper when he declared, "You are no son of mine. From this moment onward, you will be treated as the traitorous parasite that you are." He stepped back from the cell with an expression of satisfaction and disgust. "I sincerely hope your Avatar is worth your life because that is how you will pay for your _treachery_."

His public execution was scheduled for dawn at the end of the week. He would serve as a sign to the entire Fire Nation how swiftly and harshly traitors would be dealt with, no matter _who_ they were. The Firelord could have made it easier by setting his death sentence for a sooner day, but he wanted Aang to stew in the reality of what was to befall him. In preparation for the day, the guards attending Aang made a special effort to work him over whenever the urge arose so that, only two days from his execution, Aang lay brokenly in the middle of his cell with little care whether he lived or died. The guards came and went, the clank of metal mingled with heartless jeers and cries of mercy from fellow prisoners, but Aang barely acknowledged the sounds. He was too tired, mentally and physically.

"Dinner, _your_ _majesty_!"

The announcement startled Aang out of his half-conscious state. However, he didn't respond to the guard's snarling taunt nor did he move when he heard the telltale sound of his "lunch" scraping across the earthen floor. He lay so still that, for a moment, the guard wondered if his prisoner had already died. Concerned, the prison guard paused and, using the long poker he'd used to slide the tray inside the cell, prodded Aang several times until the boy finally released a pitiable groan.

"You should eat up," he told Aang, "Conserve your strength."

The words seemed almost encouraging and having them from the mouth of one of his tormentors compelled Aang to lift his head with a befuddled frown. But when he glanced outside his cell, he was met with empty space. The guard was already gone. Though any sort of movement caused him agony, Aang managed to push himself upright. He leaned into his cell wall, still contemplating the strange encounter.

Why would one of the Firelord's guards care if he kept his strength up? He was two days away from execution. If he died by firing squad or perished from hunger on his cell floor, what did it matter? Did they simply want him coherent so that he could provide them with a more entertaining show when the day came? Were they trying to poison him? Make him ill?

Aang glared at the tray of food mutinously. In an act of defiance, he kicked it aside so that cold gruel splattered all over the cell floor. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction! If he was going to die, he was going to do so with as much dignity as he could.

Half an hour later, however, Aang was regretting his impulsive decision to throw his lunch aside. His stomach rumbled painfully from the weeks and weeks of malnourishment he'd endured. To his horror, his pride willingly took a backseat to his hunger. He scurried forth to the middle of his cell, his chains dragging behind him, and gratefully snatched up the hunk of stale bread that had come with his meal. He was in the middle of devouring it hungrily when something odd caught his attention.

A curious, gruel covered lump.

Inching forward cautiously to investigate, Aang wondered if he'd been right about the poison after all. With shaking fingers, he plucked up the lump and, using the hem of his tattered prison-issued shirt, wiped away the dried remnants of food as best he could. Aang discovered it wasn't a lump at all, nor was it was poison. In his palm was a Pai Sho tile. And not just any Pai Sho tile either…it was the White Lotus tile.

It was a message. It was a promise. It was _salvation_.

His uncle hadn't forgotten about him after all.

****

Sokka climbed to the edge of Appa's saddle and peered down at Zuko, unable to bite back his amused smirk. The younger boy sat, holding Appa's reins with one hand and maniacally scratching his scalp with the other. Momo was perched beside him, thumping his paw behind his ear in like manner. Even across the distance separating them, Sokka could hear Zuko's disgruntled mutterings of "stupid hair, stupid itchy hair," quite clearly.

"Why don't you just shave it off if you're so miserable?" he laughed.

"It'll be fine once it grows some more," Zuko replied crossly, though he'd already considered Sokka's suggestion more than once already. "I don't understand why growth equals itching. It's driving me crazy!"

Truly, his hair growth was really only a superficial mask for what was really bothering him. It was a single question that had been pounding in his mind for days now. Where was he going to find an earthbending teacher?

At first, there had been no time to think about it. Survival had been his first priority. After narrowly escaping death in the lovers' cave outside of Omashu, Zuko had turned his attention towards putting as much distance between himself and his pursuers as possible. Though he hadn't had very many dealings with Azula, his brief altercation with her left him with the impression that she was relentless. _Must be a family trait_, Zuko considered wryly.

However, now that the danger was no longer immediate and the rush of adrenaline that he'd experienced while in the cave had faded, all Zuko could do was brood and worry, think about Mai and then brood some more. Though his friends had said next to nothing about their circumstances, Zuko suspected that Sokka and Katara were worrying almost as much as he was. None of them had even had a moment to process the miraculous news they'd received about Aang or even speculate on where he could be or if they could get to him because it was almost impossible to focus on anything past that single, burning question: where was Zuko going to find an earthbending teacher?

Sokka had come up with the idea to contact General Iroh on possible suggestions, in addition to letting him know that Aang was alive, but it would be at least a few days yet before they received word from him, possibly more because they were moving around so much. Unfortunately, Zuko didn't have a few days to wait. Each hour that was lost for training was another hour closer for the comet. He was painfully aware of that reality, as were his friends.

"So is this your plan?" Sokka queried dryly, snapping Zuko from his obsessive musings.

"Is what my plan?"

"We've been riding around the Earth Kingdom for days," Sokka clarified, "Not that I mind having a lull in between people constantly trying to kill us, but…I'm thinking we need some kind of strategy. Circling the Earth Kingdom aimlessly and watching you scratch yourself silly isn't helping matters."

"You don't think I know that?" Zuko snapped.

"Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job," Sokka soothed in reaction to Zuko's surly tone, "but don't you think we'd have more success on the ground, as in shouldn't we stop and check out some of these towns we've been passing by? Or do you have a specific place in mind?"

Distracted by a particularly itchy spot above his ear, Zuko only caught the tail end of Sokka's question. "I'm sorry…what did you say?"

The older boy rolled his eyes with an exasperated groan. "Where are we going?" Sokka pronounced slowly.

Zuko made a face at him. "We're headed towards the middle Earth Kingdom."

"Any place in particular?" Katara asked.

"Nope," Zuko replied.

An uneasy glance bounced between the Water Tribe siblings before Katara voiced the unspoken question between them. "Then…um…why are we going there?"

"The Fire Nation is mostly situated around the perimeters of the Earth Kingdom," Zuko explained. "They haven't yet made it into the middle part of the territory so we should be safe there for a while." He threw them both a disgruntled look over his shoulder. "I realize I'm a little lost about what we should do at the moment, but I'm not a complete idiot. Finding an earthbending teacher won't matter much if I'm not safe while I train!"

"Got it," Sokka replied in amused meekness, "Do not question Zuko."

Zuko sighed in contrition. "I don't mean to bite your head off, Sokka. I'm feeling the pressure. That's all."

"It will work out, Zuko," Katara murmured softly with her usual conviction.

When he glanced up at her and saw that, in her eyes, she absolutely believed what she was telling him, Zuko believed it too. He sighed again. "So what do you think I should do now?" he asked.

"Land," Sokka answered without preamble. "You're never going to find an earthbending teacher up here."

They chose a small, but wealthy town located in almost the direct center of the Earth Kingdom. After feeding Appa and Momo their lunch and erecting camp, the three teens disguised themselves and decided to take a strolling tour of the province. As inconspicuously as possible, they prowled the township for Earthbenders. They began with the marketplace, which was unexpectedly teeming with people. The crowed was incredibly large, almost abnormally so. It was definitely too many to be such a tiny community. Zuko wondered vaguely what was going on, because the excited commotion definitely wasn't due to _his_ arrival.

"What's the name of this place?" Zuko wondered.

Sokka consulted the map. "It says Gaoling."

"Think they've ever heard of the Avatar before?" Zuko grumbled.

Katara snickered at his peevish tone. "I thought you didn't like having all the attention."

Zuko shrugged in consideration. "Eh, you get used to it after a while." He then turned towards Sokka with a large sigh. "So how are we supposed to do this anyway?" he asked, "Am I supposed to just walk up to random people, tap them on the shoulder and say, 'hey, you wanna teach me earthbending?'"

"Maybe they won't be so random after all," Katara concluded, her widened, blue eyes fixed on something ahead of them, "I think I just figured out why this town is so busy." She caught hold of Zuko's arm and pulled him towards the posted scroll tacked on a wooden stake only a few yards away. "Look at this," she breathed, "It's some kind of earthbending tournament that's happening this evening. It says that only the best Earthbenders in the Earth Kingdom will be competing…"

"Did you say tournament?" Sokka asked, "Now that's what Sokka's talking about!" He swiftly and shamelessly smooshed himself between Katara and Zuko with an excited whoop, his eyes eagerly scanning the length of the scroll. Katara shoved him aside so that she could grin at Zuko broadly. "See? I told you," she announced victoriously, "It worked out exactly like it was supposed to."

"Katara, I—,"

"No, I won't let you be pessimistic," she interrupted stubbornly, "This is _exactly_ what we needed! Of all the towns where we could have landed, we chose here…almost like we were led to this place. It can't be a coincidence! Maybe we were meant to come here all along, Zuko."

"Katara, read it again," Zuko said dryly, thoroughly stomping on her destiny theory with his next words, "It's not a tournament…it's a glorified bending match _and_ the whole thing is probably staged. I doubt any self-respecting Earthbender would bother to participate. If there's a place where I _won't_ find a decent teacher, it's there."

"Well, laa dee dah," Sokka teased, "You sound pretty snooty for someone who doesn't know the first thing about earthbending. I'm sure these fellows are highly trained."

"Not trained enough to teach me," Zuko declared haughtily, "When I learn earthbending, it will be at the feet of a master, not some glory hound miscreant. I want to be trained by someone with poise, grace and dignity as well as incredible power. I want a teacher who takes their bending gift seriously and doesn't use it in frivolous pursuits. I want someone who is experienced and wise both physically _and_ mentally. I want someone like…like Master Pakku."

Katara's misconception that he was talking about her was instantly dashed. She scowled at him. "Well, gee, thanks a lot for the ringing endorsement, Zuko."

"Yeah you're okay too," he added in an offhand manner, which only prompted an offended huff from Katara. "The point is," Zuko pressed on, "these guys aren't good enough."

"Beggars can't be choosy," Sokka reminded him.

Zuko crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'm also not going to accept any idiot off the road as my teacher," he declared frankly, "I'm desperate, but I'm not _that _desperate."

"Well, at least come and watch the match with us before you make up your mind," Sokka cajoled.

"I'm not interested," he maintained. "If you and Katara want to checks things out, I won't stop you. But, as far as I'm concerned, it will be a waste of time."

"Fine," Sokka replied with an accepting shrug, "Suit yourself."

****

Zuko couldn't believe they actually went without him.

He leaned against the thick, outer wall of the wrestling arena and pouted. More than an hour had elapsed since Sokka and Katara had been swallowed into the stampeding crowd eager for prime seats to Earth Rumble 6. Every so often the deserted silence outside the arena would be split with the deafening cheers that sounded from inside, interspersed with rhythmic chants of "bandit, bandit." Each time the crowd roared, Zuko's disgruntled scowl deepened. He thought of Appa and Momo and how they would be all over him once he returned to camp because he, Sokka and Katara had been gone so long and his mood soured further. Being covered in bison slobber and lemur hair was not exactly how he wanted to cap his evening.

Petulantly, Zuko wondered if Sokka and Katara's insistence on seeing the match had more to do with their own entertainment and less to do with the need to find an earthbending teacher for him. Often, it seemed that whenever something was done for "his" benefit, he was always the one who ended up unhappy. "Figures," he mumbled to himself.

However, just as he'd made up his mind to go marching into the arena to inform Sokka and Katara what a complete waste of time it all was, the crowd finally began filing out. Not wanting to be trampled as the Gaoling citizens ooh'd and aah'd their blow by blow replay of the event, Zuko sidled around to the other side of the building to wait for Katara and Sokka. He had no sooner propped himself back against the earthen wall than a large panel of it suddenly slid away and a girl popped furtively from the opening. She looked no older than twelve, clad in a green tunic and bare feet and she seemed to be up to no good.

Instantly suspicious, Zuko frowned as he watched her. However, he quickly assimilated that she wasn't planning mischief, but seemingly trying to avoid it. As he stood there trying to puzzle out why she'd chosen such an odd exit in the first place, he found himself further confused by the careful way she darted her head about. It was as if she were looking for someone. And that might not have been so odd if it weren't evident from the faded color of her green eyes that she could not see a thing. The girl was blind and yet, conversely, she didn't act like it.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped suddenly, shocking Zuko into momentary speechlessness because he hadn't imagined she was aware of him at all. "Well?" she prodded impatiently, tapping her foot.

"I…uh…well…" And then because he hated being put on the spot, Zuko demanded rather bluntly, "Aren't you blind?"

"Yeah!" she confirmed without shame. "You got a problem with that?"

Ignoring her attitude, Zuko followed up with yet another forthright question. "If you're blind, then how did you know I was staring at you?"

The girl snorted. "If you can hear, why can't you take the hint to get lost?"

Zuko circled her, peering closely. "How are you doing that?" he wondered aloud. "Are you faking it?"

Her earthbending attack was quick and subtle. The spike jutted up out of the ground right below the arch of his foot. Zuko eluded its rise on a current of air so that the cylinder of rock never even touched him before flipping back to the ground unhurt. "Are you crazy?" he burst out indignantly. "Do you always attack people who ask you questions?"

However, the girl ignored his querulous response because she was too busy asking questions of her own. "How did you do that?" she demanded with narrowed eyes.

"How'd I do what?"

"You…you just disappeared a minute ago!" she accused him.

"I didn't disappear," he denied.

She bared her teeth and attacked again, this time attempting dual spikes on either side of him. Zuko flipped to the safety of a nearby boulder, narrowly avoiding the punishing collision of the two blunted tips. "And people say I have anger issues," he grumbled. She tried to subdue him a third time, splitting apart the large rock beneath him so that he went crashing face first towards the ground.

Mere seconds before he made punishing contact, Zuko blew out a gust of air that kept him momentarily suspended above ground before gracefully catapulting him to his feet. The girl emitted a low growl of frustration. "Where are you?" she muttered to herself.

"Now I get it," Zuko cried as he floated upright, "You can only see me if I'm making contact with the ground, can't you?" His answer to that was a hurtling rock, which he lightly side-stepped. Zuko could see that his evasion only further frustrated her because it was evident she was having difficulty locating him. Knowing that, Zuko carefully kept himself suspended above ground. "You're pretty good at that," he said, complimenting her earthbending.

Rather than accepting the praise, the girl merely used the sound of his voice to discern which direction she should launch her next attack. She shook the ground, rumbled and flipped it to no avail. Still, Zuko was impressed. Her bending was proficient and adaptive. He didn't doubt that with a few minutes more she'd devise a way to land her blows even while she couldn't see him.

"Why don't you stop with the disappearing act and just fight?" she growled.

"I don't want to fight you," Zuko said, "But I am impressed. I think I'll let you teach me earthbending instead."

The girl snorted. "Before or after I break you in two?"

"You'll have to find me first," Zuko taunted.

He didn't realize that she was working her way up to that. The seismic perception that allowed her to see him as a result of the vibrations his feet made against the earth was failing because he somehow managed to avoid contact with the ground. However, she was becoming aware of other things, like the tiny swirls of dust that seemed to kick up in the direction of his voice. It gave her a fair indication of where he was even when he wasn't speaking to her. She smiled to herself.

"You're pretty light on your feet, aren't you?" she noted huffily, "What are you? Some kind of fairy dancer?"

Zuko blasted himself a bit higher off the ground with an outraged, "What?" and that was the exact moment she chose to strike. The rock boulder pummeled into his mid-section, knocking him to the ground hard. He rolled upright with a pained groan and found the girl standing over him, smirking.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," she teased him.

"That was a lucky shot," Zuko grumbled.

"No one's ever done that before," she told him.

"Done what?" he asked as he rolled to his feet, "Disappeared on you? Made you work so hard?"

"Figured out the way I see," she clarified meaningfully. "That's pretty amazing."

"Your bending is amazing," Zuko countered. "I was serious when I said I'd let you teach me."

"Who says I want to?" she challenged.

In a rare moment, Zuko humbled himself enough to ask, albeit impatiently, "Well, would you?"

The girl shrugged and began taking several, skipping steps backwards in retreat. "Maybe…we'll see…" she evaded, "Ask me again sometime later!"

"Wait! I don't live here and I won't be staying long! How am I supposed to do that if I don't know where to find you?" he called after her.

"You'll find me if you want it bad enough!"

"What's your name?" he asked seconds before she disappeared from sight altogether.

The answer that came back to him was unexpected. "Bandit!" He was still staring after her in muddled confusion when Sokka and Katara found him.

"Where were you?" Katara scolded. "You were supposed to wait for us outside!"

"Forget about that," Sokka interrupted excitedly, "You just missed the greatest earthbending match ever!"

"That's not even the important part!" Katara exclaimed, "We think we found you an earthbending teacher!"

"In there?" Zuko snorted. "Not likely! I just found _my_ earthbending teacher, Katara, and she's amazing. I doubt anyone you saw in there was even half as good." He frowned when he realized that he knew next to nothing about her, aside from some cryptic name and added rather sheepishly, "Well, I sort of found her. She didn't exactly agree, but she didn't say no either!"

"Zuko, you didn't see this girl," Katara insisted, "She was phenomenal."

"I still think she was faking it!" Sokka muttered, "No way did a blind girl take out all those big, burly guys on her own. It had to be a set up."

Zuko did a doubletake. "Wait. Did you just say this fighter was blind?" he demanded sharply.

"Yeah, she was," Katara confirmed, smiling because she realized that they finally had his full attention. "They call her the Blind Bandit."


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Chapter** **Twenty-Eight**

"You said you were going to pay me. I'm here for my cut."

Across the room that served as makeshift private quarters for him, Xin Fu, proprietor of the Earth Rumble wrestling arena, regarded twelve-year old Toph Bei Fong with an appraising glance. However, he was not intimidated by his prize wrestler's indignant expression and, therefore, went back to methodically counting his money from the previous night. She was a pre-teen and was often in a funk about something. Xin Fu had long become accustomed to her mercurial mood swings even if they still did manage to annoy him.

"You tore out of here so fast last night, I thought you weren't interested," he remarked casually.

"The fight ran late," she replied, "You know I had to get home."

"Not my problem," he returned.

"I'm making it your problem," Toph intoned stiffly. "I want my money, Xin Fu!"

The proprietor released an aggrieved sight and pushed aside the money situated upon an earthen platform to fix Toph with his undivided attention. "Since when do you get a cut, Bandit?" he asked. "You said it was all about the bending for you."

"Things change," Toph declared implacably. "You made a ton of money off of me last night. It's not like I've ever asked you before and you told me that I was entitled."

"Things change," he replied, turning her earlier laconic response by onto her. "Besides, what need to you have for money, _Toph_ _Bei_ _Fong_?" Xin Fu demanded pointedly. Her features drained of all color with his pointed accusation. At Toph's sharp intake of breath, Xin Fu smiled in satisfaction. "That's right, Bandit. I know your real name and I have for some time," he confirmed, "I know who you are, just like I know you have very little need of the money I make here."

Though she was shaken by his admission, Toph quickly recovered from her shock. "It's my money!" she cried petulantly. "I earned every bit of it!"

"Why don't you ask your father?" Xin Fu replied dismissively as he returned back to his counting.

"If you know so much about me then you know I can't do that," Toph retorted. "If he finds out what I've been doing here, it's the end for both of us. Is that what you want?" She waited in silence for him to mull that over before adding, "I'll be fine. I'm a Bei Fong, after all. What are you going to do when _you_ lose your cash cow?"

The silence following her question was deafening. Toph knew she had made her point, but what was more, Xin Fu knew it. "Here!" he spat, grabbing up a handful of coins and throwing them at her. Toph caught the money deftly in a makeshift cup she'd formed out of the front of her tunic. Xin Fu sneered at her. "But that's all you're getting out of me."

Toph scooped up the money with a frown, noting immediately that something was off. "This is it?" she balked, "This is _all_ you're paying me?"

"That's five gold pieces I just gave you!" Xin Fu roared indignantly. "What are you trying to do? Don't be greedy, Bandit."

She well knew that he hadn't given her gold pieces at all. Granted, she couldn't see the coins, but she knew what the weight of gold felt like. She knew the texture. She even knew its distinct, metallic smell. And she knew with a certainty that Xin Fu had cheated her. Like many before him, Xin Fu had tried to take advantage of her blindness and, like many before him, he would soon regret it.

"You're right," she said, pocketing the money he'd given her. "I wasn't trying to be greedy, Xin Fu. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," he grated. "Now get out of here. You're distracting me and I have work to do."

Toph did as she was ordered, but rather than going down the long corridor that led out of the arena, she tucked herself into a nice, dark nook outside of door and waited for Xin Fu to leave. Two hours later he finally did and Toph wasted no time bending herself through the sealed entrance of his private room. The interior was deceptively empty, but Toph knew better. She was an Earthbender who could see underground, after all. As a result, it didn't take her very long to find the spot beneath the floor where Xin Fu had buried all his money. She also discovered that he'd been doing that, apparently, for a long, long time. There was more money than Toph could have ever imagined, plenty for her to start a new life elsewhere on her own.

Her living arrangement with her parents had become untenable. Toph knew her parents loved her, but they didn't' _know _her and she wasn't certain they would want to. She could no longer continue living a double life. Leaving home seemed to be her only option, but in order to do that she'd need money. That was the reason she'd come to Xin Fu in the first place.

She had hoped that Xin Fu would be decent enough to give her a fair amount to get started. Toph didn't know why she'd even bothered deluding herself. Now that he'd proven himself the dishonest reprobate she'd always taken him for, Toph had little choice but to take what was hers…and then some. Mindful of her limited time, she quickly bent the money from the ground and began filling a small, canvas bag with the booty.

Toph had collected more than half when she sensed a presence in the corridor. However, by the time she was poised to react, a panel of the wall was already sliding open.

****

Katara contorted her body in a leisurely stretch, stifling her yawn of boredom with the back of her hand. "Why are we waiting for this girl again?" she asked crossly.

"This is the last place I saw her," Zuko reasoned. "You said she was the reigning champion, so obviously she comes here pretty often. The odds of finding her or finding someone who knows her are pretty good."

They had been searching for her most of the morning. Following breakfast, that had been Zuko's primary goal: find the Blind Bandit. That was easier said than done. The young wrestler's reputation preceded her and she seemed to have legions of loyal fans and yet not a single one of them knew her real name or even where she lived. It was as if, after every match, she simply disappeared into thin air. Zuko found that mysterious explanation of things absolutely unacceptable. He had already lost one earthbending teacher due to circumstance. He would not lose another.

Sokka seemed to understand his unspoken determination best and he placed a commiserating hand atop Zuko's shoulders. "I know what you're thinking," he sighed. "Our options are limited, but… I can't help but feel like we're wasting time trying to find a girl who obviously doesn't want to be found."

"She wants to be found!" Zuko argued heatedly, "And she said she would teach me!"

"Yeah, in a roundabout, that'll happen in a million years kind of way," Katara mumbled.

Zuko glared at her, partly because he feared she was right and partly because he didn't want her to be. "She meant it," he insisted, despite his misgivings.

"But we've been waiting for her outside this arena for an hour already," Sokka pointed out, "No one in town has been any help at all. They don't know anything more than we do!"

"I want her," Zuko maintained stubbornly. "I've made up my mind. I'm not leaving here without her. I can't, Sokka. She was meant to be my earthbending instructor. I can feel it."

"I thought you weren't a big believer in the whole destiny thing," Katara reminded him wryly.

"I didn't say I didn't believe," Zuko refuted, "I just didn't think it had anything to do with these particular circumstances."

"And what about that whole spiel about 'earthbending wrestlers being nothing more than a bunch of'…what was your word again…" he tapped his chin in dramatic thought, "…oh, I remember, 'glory-hound miscreants.'" He favored Zuko with a broad grin. "I guess you've changed your mind about that, huh?"

"Okay, okay!" Zuko snapped, "I was wrong! Does having me admit it out loud give you some kind of satisfaction?"

"Actually, it does," Sokka replied smugly. "It really does." Not even the dig in his ribs that he received from Katara could wipe the grin off his face.

However, the levity between them was quickly forgotten as their current problem reasserted itself. "We can't possibly stay out here all morning waiting for her," Katara reasoned.

"She's right," Sokka chimed in, "We'd make more progress if we split up." Anticipating the argument Zuko already had planned, he rushed to add, "I know that nothing good ever happens when we do that, but what choice do we have? We'll cover more ground apart than we would together."

Just as Zuko started to nod his head in agreement, the wall to their left suddenly exploded and the object of their pursuit came racing clear of the debris at breakneck pace, a burlap sack thrown over her shoulder. "Hey!" Zuko cried in surprise as she zipped past him. He ran after her, having little choice but to do so. Sokka and Katara followed. "Wait a second!" he panted. "I've been looking for you! You said I was supposed to find you and I did!"

"No time to talk!" Toph threw back as she winded her way through the marketplace, "Gotta run!"

"But what's going on?" Zuko wondered in confusion, "Who are we running from?"

His answer to that question came in the form of Xin Fu's outraged bellow behind them. "Stop that girl! She stole my money!"

Zuko had little time to process his shock. Toph immediately snagged hold of his wrist and dragged him with her as she ducked behind a crate of produce to catch her breath. Katara and Sokka found a resting place behind an adjacent cart. They barely acknowledged the frightened vendors they scattered in the process.

"I am so stupid," Toph grumbled to herself, "I should have seen him coming. I should have _seen_."

"Did you really steal that guy's money?" Zuko asked her.

"It's _my_ money!" Toph replied sharply. "I only took what was mine!" Within moments, however, her indignant irritation was forgotten as she sensed Xin Fu and his lackeys begin to swarm the marketplace on all corners. The perimeters of the square were too fuzzy for Toph to accurately bend herself out on the other side, especially holding a bag of money. Now that she'd made it this far, there was no way she was letting it go now.

"Come on out, you little thief," came Xin Fu's enraged hiss from nearby, "There's no way you're leaving this market. But, if you return the money right now, I might be willing to forget this whole matter."

Beside her, Zuko pinned Toph with an expectant glare. Though Toph couldn't see it, she sensed it and her response was rather blunt and succinct. "Don't be an idiot! He's lying!"

"I know he's lying!" Zuko snapped back, "But exactly how far do you think you're going to get carrying that bag anyway?"

"I am not ditching it," Toph declared implacably and then to herself she muttered, "I just need a few minutes to figure something out."

"Make that a few seconds," Zuko said after a furtive peek around the corner of their hiding place, "He'll be on top of us soon." In a twist of irony, however, they didn't even have that.

"There!" one triumphant and embittered cabbage merchant pointed out to Xin Fu, "I know the ones you're looking for! They're right behind my cart!"

Zuko and Toph scrambled to safety only seconds before the boulder smashed into the cart, splintering it into a thousand pieces and raining down tiny bits of cabbage all over the market square. The cabbage merchant's wail of grief was drowned out by the rumble of earthbending that followed. As Xin Fu's minions rushed them, Toph secured the money bag in her teeth so that she could bend up a myriad of earthen spikes. Some were avoided; others landed their target spot on.

The kids turned to run down the opposite side of the row of carts, only to find themselves ankle deep in earth. Toph bent them free immediately while Zuko blew back their pursuers with a shaft of wind. Katara snapped forth a water whip with the intention of creating a freezing lasso, but it became a puddle of mud long before it reached its target thanks to Xin Fu.

The wrestling proprietor shook his head and tsked, "Your bending is sloppy, Bandit. Let go of the money and maybe you'll make a worthy opponent."

In response, Toph slapped the money bag into an unsuspecting Zuko's chest. He grunted with the impact, which Toph largely ignored. "Guard this with your life," she ordered, "If even one copper piece is missing, I will hunt you down like a rabid dog!"

"Get that kid!" Xin Fu growled to his cohorts, "I'll take care of the girl!"

As Zuko, Katara and Sokka dashed about the market place, trading blows of wind, water and earth, Toph faced off against Xin Fu. He cracked his neck in anticipation. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he murmured menacingly, "It's long past due that someone put you in your proper place."

"I'd like to see you try," Toph sneered.

He rotated his body, dragging his foot in a perfect circle across the earth so that Toph anticipated the jagged rock he carved out long before he kicked it towards her. She disintegrated it into nothing even before it could go completely airborne. Xin Fu tried again, this time locking her in earth up to her ankles so that she was immobile when he made his attack. Toph flipped back onto her hands, bending her feet free simultaneously. As the rock whizzed towards hers, she pumped her legs forward and stopped it with the pads of her feet before launching it back in the direction it had come. Xin Fu built up a shield of rock to protect himself while Toph regained her footing. They circled one another in the makeshift arena.

Their face-off inevitably drew a crowd, however, and very slowly people began recognizing Toph. Whispered murmurings of "bandit" quickly rose to a crescendo of deafening chants. Unreasonably angered by the crowd's loyalty, loyalty he had counted on in the past to make his money, Xin Fu growled in fury and bent an armor of rock around his body, so that every part of himself, save his eyes, was covered. Recognizing his intent, Toph did the same.

They went racing towards one another on a dangerous collision course, eyes fixed, bodies erect. It was the ultimate game of chicken. Neither of them had any intention of giving quarter. Xin Fu was convinced that Toph would lose her nerve before the final impact and Toph was convinced that Xin Fu still didn't understand who he was dealing with.

He got the message a split second before they crashed together. Xin Fu's world exploded with colorful stars as he was pitched across the air and into a vegetable cart some ten feet away. A thick cloud of gritty dust engulfed the square, reducing visibility to zero. People coughed and sputtered and stumbled around. Toph, however, had little trouble finding Zuko in the murk.

"You got my money?" she demanded brusquely. He nodded. "Then let's get out of here."

Twenty minutes later they made it back to the safety of camp. While Katara and Sokka began folding up their belongings in preparation to leave, Zuko and Toph talked. "So…uh…I guess I should thank you, huh?" she began a bit awkwardly.

"You want to thank me?" Zuko challenged, "Teach me earthbending and we'll call it even. If I wasn't sure I wanted you before, after what you did in the marketplace, I'm definitely sure now."

"Who says I want to teach you?" Toph challenged. "I've got my own life to live, you know?"

"Don't you know who I am?"

"Should I?"

"I'm the Avatar," Zuko declared almost proudly.

Toph only lifted her shoulders to shrug. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to bow down and kiss the ground beneath your feet?"

"I'm not expecting you to worship me," Zuko snapped impatiently, "I need your help! I'm trying to save the world!"

"Not my problem."

"You owe me," Zuko reminded her. "I stuck my neck out for you today."

"Because you wanted something from me," Toph pointed out.

"And you wanted something from me," Zuko countered, "and I delivered. Now it's your turn."

Toph stooped to the ground and flung open up her bag. "You want money?" she offered shortly. "Name the amount. I'll give you whatever you ask if it will get you off my back."

"I don't want money. I want you," Zuko countered.

"Whoa now," Toph replied, taking a reflexive step backwards, "I'm sure you're a nice kid and all, but I—,"

Zuko snorted incredulously before she could even finish the statement. "I don't want you like _that_!" he scoffed, "My interest in you is strictly professional. I want to learn to bend. That's it."

"And what do I get out of it?" Toph challenged.

"The prestige of having trained to most powerful being in the universe," Zuko supplied dryly.

"Wow, how tempting…" Toph considered with a sardonic eye roll.

Still, in spite of her protests and reluctance, she really had nothing better to do. Part of her was intrigued by the idea of training the Avatar and taking a part in shaping his destiny and future. Her initial plan had been to wander the countryside scamming people. The alternative seemed much better.

Having made her decision with very little internal debate, Toph blew a shaft of hair from her eyes and asked, "So what's your name, Twinkle Toes?"

Zuko immediately cringed at the moniker. "One thing before we go any further," he uttered stiffly, "Don't call me that. I have a name. Use it. Otherwise, we're going to have problems."

"Listen to him," Sokka piped in as he passed by, "You don't want to get on his bad side. Trust me."

"Okay…fine…whatever," Toph conceded in aggravation, "It would help if I knew your name though!"

"I'm Zuko," he told her, "And the guy who just went past, that's Sokka. And up there," he continued, pointing to where Katara stood atop Appa's saddle, "that's his sister Katara."

"And what about the furballs?" Toph prompted. "Are you guys trying to start an exotic zoo or something?"

"The bison is Appa," Zuko explained, "And the lemur," he went on as Momo landed on his shoulder, "…is Momo. You might think they're just pets, but they're more like family to us."

"So what's the deal? Do you travel the countryside alone with no parental supervision?" Toph wondered.

"Well, Katara and I have our dad," Sokka provided, "but he's away fighting the war."

"What about you?" Toph asked the aforementioned. "Where are your parents?"

"There's no one for me except Katara and Sokka now," Zuko replied. When Toph frowned her confusion, he added, "It's a long story and it basically ends with me being the last Airbender." Not wanting to dwell on that because of the gloom and anger he knew would follow, however, he quickly steered the conversation towards Toph. "What about you? What's your name? Where are your parents?"

"My real name is Toph," she said, "and…my parents are dead." It hadn't been her intention to lie to them. In fact, she hadn't even considered it before that moment. Yet, once the words were spoken, she automatically made up her mind not to take them back. "I'm all alone in the world too."

"Then it sounds like you're in the right place," Katara told her.

"Yeah, we're a band of misfits, outcasts and orphans," Zuko mumbled.

"Speak for yourself," Sokka shot back.

"So are you going to do this or what?" Zuko asked Toph, "Will you teach me earthbending?"

"Yeah. I'll teach you." It was a surprisingly easy decision for her to come to. All her life, Toph had been searching for a place to belong and now it had seemingly fallen into her lap without her having to search for it at all. "But I'm not very patient," she prefaced as Zuko, Katara and Sokka breathed sighs of relief. "I expect you to work hard and I'm going to push you. You don't want me to call you 'Twinkle Toes'?" she continued, "then don't act like a jelly boned wimp and we'll be fine."

Zuko rolled his eyes at the challenge. "Do your worst, Toph."

Toph smiled at his answer. From that second, she absolutely knew that she and Zuko were going to get along fine.

****

"Since when does the Firelord want me to have exercise?" Aang demanded suspiciously as he was dragged, still in chains, from his cell the night before his execution. It was the middle of the night and the prison house was quiet for the evening, prisoners and guards alike were sound asleep. Aang knew instinctively that something more substantial than an "evening walk" was in order.

"You have a problem with having a little night air?" the guard growled back over his shoulder. "Just shut your mouth and keep moving."

Aang didn't argue, especially when he noticed another prisoner, one who looked eerily similar to himself, being taken to the cell from which he'd just vacated. He and the stranger made brief eye contact, ending with his doppelganger giving him a brief nod, before Aang was dragged from view altogether. "No," Aang replied slowly, "I don't have a problem with night air at all."

Recognizing that there were bigger circumstances at play than he realized, Aang remained quiet and did what he was told when he was told. After what seemed like eons of walking, he was finally led into the deep bowels of the dungeons. There, he discovered two more guardsmen waiting for them. They wordlessly supplied him with a change of clothing and a supply of food.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, grateful and confused as he took hold of the clothes and began to change.

"Some of us are still very loyal to your uncle," one guard explained, "The _rightful _Firelord."

"So you help me and what happens to you?" Aang wondered urgently, "What happens tomorrow when my fat—,"

"Don't concern yourself with tomorrow," his liberator interrupted tersely, "We all know the consequences involved in helping you tonight and we are prepared to face them. What is important here is _your_ safety."

"I understand," Aang murmured.

"Listen to my instructions closely," the guard said. "Early tomorrow morning there will be a food delivery. The cart will be parked right outside that gate," the guard went on, pointing towards the exit at the end of the hall, "Conceal yourself in one of the empty baskets when it is unattended. It will take you outside the city walls. Once you're beyond the Palace City, go to a town called Bo Lin. There you will find a master swordsman by the name of Piandao. He will give you money, supplies and instructions for the remainder of your journey."

Aang paused in the midst of pulling on his boots. "My journey?" he queried blankly. "Where am I going?"

"Ba Sing Se."

****

"I hear you're having a bit of a problem."

Lao Bei Fong was hard-pressed to conceal his sneer of distaste as Xin Fu was brought before him in his private state room. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow such a filthy commoner to step foot in his home, but these weren't normal circumstances. His daughter had been missing for three days and Lao Bei Fong was beside himself with worry.

"State your business, sir," he grunted impatiently. "My daughter is gone and I have no time for games!"

"And that is exactly why I'm here," Xin Fu said, "I know who has taken your daughter. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Who? I demand you tell me this instant!"

"It was the Avatar," Xin Fu answered. "At first, I didn't recognize him, but later I realized who he was."

"Why would the Avatar want to steal my daughter?" Bei Fong wondered suspiciously.

"Who knows? I'm sure you've heard the stories, though," Xin Fu murmured provocatively, "He is a dangerous and volatile young man. He has destroyed entire armies almost singlehandedly. It would be a pity if your poor, delicate daughter fell to harm while traveling with him."

"Why are you here?" Bei Fong demanded, seeing right through Xin Fu's guise of benevolence straight to his greedy heart. "What do you want from me?"

"To offer my skills as a bounty hunter," Xin Fu replied, "I can't imagine very many people would want to go against the Avatar so you won't have many takers on that score. But, I don't fear him. To me, he's merely a boy. I can find your daughter, my lord, and bring her back to you…for a fee, of course."

"Name your price," Lao Bei Fong agreed without hesitation, "I will do _anything_, whatever it takes to bring my daughter home."


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Chapter** **Twenty-** **Nine**

Toph proved to be a loud, pushy and altogether obnoxious teacher.

Zuko, however, proved to be a louder, pushier and altogether more obnoxious student. In the beginning, he struggled with manipulating earth. The technique for bending rock proved to be the complete opposite of the technique used to bend air and, consequently, earthbending had introduced itself to Zuko as a painfully foreign concept. It wasn't simply the idea of bending a new element, but adopting a completely new way of thinking as well. At first, Zuko couldn't seem to wrap his brain around it. With each failure, he grew more and more frustrated with himself.

Ironically, though, it was his anger and frustration that helped Zuko to finally gain an understanding of the technique. He couldn't go around his opponent, as he'd been taught to do when learning to airbend, but instead had to face his opposition head on. He had to be as unyielding and stubborn as the element with which he worked. When Zuko really considered it, he discovered that he liked that technique best. Earthbending suited his personality much better.

Because Toph's brusque demeanor wore thin with him quickly, his mastery of the element evolved quickly as well. When she got in his face over a particular difficulty Zuko was having or taunted him because he wasn't picking up a point fast enough, Zuko got right back in her face. He would yell just as loud and, inevitably, he learned the concept. Though the training process proved to be disappointing and grueling at times, when Zuko finally did master earthbending, he _really_ mastered it and excelled, beyond even his own expectations.

Even Toph, who had very little praise for anything he accomplished as her student, was duly impressed by how powerful he became in such a relatively short period of time. And, while she'd never admit so aloud, she suspected that if Zuko continued on a similar vein in his training, he'd surpass even her one day. In fact, he was so diligent and focused about it all, that it was Toph who was begging for a break in the end and _not_ the other way around.

"Don't you ever get tired?" she complained, flopping on the ground, which was blanketed with a thick mound of Appa's shed hair, with a winded breath.

Without a single ounce of pity, Zuko bent a platform of earth beneath her body and brought her to her feet again. "No slacking," he said. "We have one more hour of practice."

The blind Earthbender stiffened her shoulders with a disgruntled scowl. Yet, when she pitched forth an earth spike designed to knock him to the other side of the rocky clearing, Zuko deftly bent himself out of harm's way while simultaneously catching her in the butt with a spike of his own. Toph growled under her breath, rubbing the tender area. She thought about retaliating, but then considered that was exactly what he wanted in the first place.

"Zuko, I've loved earthbending for as long as I can remember," she informed him dryly, "but you are seriously beginning to make me hate it."

"Less talk, more work."

Katara, Sokka and Momo came to watch them spar, ducking and dodging the loosely flying rock at appropriate intervals and choking on the windstorm of bison hair Toph and Zuko kicked up in the process. They ooh'd and ahh'd as Zuko smoothly countered Toph's blows and even, on several occasions, launched attacks that gave _her_ a run for her money. Before long, she was panting and sweating, but Zuko, however, seemed to be catching his second wind.

"Enough!" Toph cried out in exhaustion, falling to the ground once more. "I'm taking a break and that's final!" She sensed the shadow Zuko cast as he came to stand over her. "If you even touch me," she warned with narrowed eyes, "I'll break both your arms."

"We're supposed to train."

"You want to train? Go bug Katara."

"Oh no, not me!" the aforementioned sang out in refusal, "I had my punishment this morning." She rubbed absently at the balls of her shoulders. "My muscles are still aching."

Zuko turned an expectant glance towards Sokka. "Not on your life," the young Water Tribe warrior deadpanned.

"So what are you suggesting?" Zuko cried, circling a look around at them all, "Are we just supposed to laze around the camp and waste time?"

"Ever heard of a break, Commander Stuffy Britches?" Toph demanded sarcastically.

"Oh, we don't take breaks in this group," Sokka informed her. Toph's head snapped up, her features drawn in an incredulous frown. "You'll get used to it after a while," he yawned dismissively.

"What do you mean you don't take breaks?" Toph queried slowly. She was more than a little alarmed by this newest bit of information. The idea of maintaining such a relentless, grueling schedule with no downtime in between was less than thrilling for her. "Do you just mean you don't take _long_ breaks or you don't take them period?"

"We try not to take them at all," Sokka explained, "because whenever we do the town ends up destroyed and someone is always maimed or hurt or…they die. We're kind of over that now." Toph barked a laugh, only to feel completely sheepish a few seconds later when no one laughed with her. "I'm being totally serious," Sokka insisted in the silent aftermath, "Our breaks kill people."

"So now we don't take them," Zuko concluded, "and that's working out fine for us."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Toph snorted.

"Maybe it is a little ridiculous," Katara agreed, "but you haven't been with our group long enough to know what we're talking about. Trouble seems to follow us wherever we go. We've lost several close friends because of it so, for now, we try to avoid causing problems as best we can. We stop only when we need to."

Toph veered upright. "Well, that just sucks!" she declared bluntly. "Are you guys a bunch of old people? Come on! You're traveling the world with absolutely _no_ _parental_ _supervision_! You get to make your own rules! Go to bed when you want, eat what you want, _do_ what you want. You should be _trying_ to cause trouble, not avoid it!"

"Toph, I'm the Avatar," Zuko began sternly, "and as such—,"

"You're still a kid, Zuko," Toph interrupted, "Do you even know what fun is? Have you ever even had it?"

"I have lots of fun!" he argued heatedly. "Practice _is_ fun!"

That answer elicited an eye roll from Toph as well as a pitying shake of her head. "Ugh, you're hopeless," she grunted, rolling to her feet, "You three do what you want. Brush Sheddy over there—,"

"—It's a natural part of Spring! He can't help it!" Zuko snapped and Appa bellowed his agreement.

She went on as if he'd said nothing at all, "—Hold hands and sing around the campfire. Do whatever it is you do. As for me, I'm going to have some fun. Toodles."

Sokka watched her amble off in the direction of the nearest town, staring after her longingly. He had a choice set before him. He could stay in camp and watch Zuko train all night, which could get somewhat boring, _or_ he could accompany Toph into town and make mischief. It wasn't a difficult choice to make. Within seconds, Sokka was scrambling to his feet and rushing after Toph.

His sister gasped. "Sokka, you're not going with her, are you?"

He flashed Katara a parting grin over his shoulder. "Don't wait up!"

When they were gone, Zuko and Katara regarded one another in chagrined, awkward silence. "I guess it's just me and you," Zuko sighed.

"No, it's just me," Katara refuted with a sigh. "I think you should go after them."

"What?" Zuko balked.

"You know how Toph is," Katara reasoned, "She causes as much trouble as we do, but the difference is she does it on purpose. I know they're going to get themselves into a situation."

"What am I supposed to do about that?" Zuko muttered.

"What the Avatar does best," Katara replied softly, "Keep them safe." As Zuko rolled his eyes in acquiesce to that and stooped down to pull on the cloak Katara had recently fashioned for him, she tacked on as incentive, "I'll make dinner while you're gone. It will be hot and ready when you return."

Zuko flipped his hood onto his head, shielding the majority of his face from view. "It had better be," he grumbled as he set off after Toph and Sokka, "and I want double portions. I don't care what Sokka says."

****

When Zuko finally caught up to them, Sokka and Toph were in the middle of scamming a street peddler out of his money.

They were playing a simple game which required them to find a pebble hidden beneath one of three bowls. A certain amount of money was wagered and, if the person guessed which bowl the pebble lay beneath after the peddler switched them around, they won the money. This peddler, however, was a cheat and would take to removing the pebble via his earthbending once it was hidden beneath the bowl. Toph was well aware of this fact and had taken it upon herself to cheat the cheater and make a ton of money in the process.

As she played the part of the helpless blind girl "lucky" enough to make the pick on the first try, Sokka upped the ante by playing the ignorant buffoon who'd lost "everything he had." Zuko happened upon the scene and rolled his eyes in sighing aggravation.

"What are you doing?" he demanded dryly.

"I'm sorry, young man," Sokka replied in an affected tone, squinting up at him, "Do I know you?"

"Sokka…" Zuko ground out between clenched teeth.

"I say, who is this Sokka that you speak of?" his friend boomed in feigned ignorance, "Do I resemble him much?"

Catching on to his game, Zuko wearily played along. "Why yes, sir, you do. The similarities are so uncanny," he deadpanned in response. "I suppose I will stand near the large fountain on the other side of the square to wait for my wayward companions."

"Excellent choice, young man," Sokka commended, giving Zuko a furtive wink as he passed them by.

Zuko was so preoccupied with muttering his exasperation under his breath as he made his way across the square that he didn't realize he was on a collision course until he clipped the shoulder of a passerby. He was in the middle of formulating his cross response to that when the person he'd collided with laid into him verbally.

"Hey!" the stranger ground out irritably, "The road is pretty wide! Why don't you try watching where you're going?"

He recognized the gravely smoothness of the voice instantly and his heart literally tripped at the sound of it. Before the she could pass on, Zuko darted out a hand to clamp around her forearm. Her body tensed immediately, but before she could sink a dozen blades into his mid-section, Zuko quickly swept back his hood. "Mai, don't attack! It's me!" he cried swiftly. "It's Zuko."

The menace instantly faded from Mai's features and was replaced by a small, secret smile. Though her reaction was tempered, her eyes were literally glowing as she beheld him. "Well, well, well…" she murmured, "Long time, no see, Avatar. You have more hair now." Zuko rubbed his head self-consciously, but practically melted internally when she added in an almost offhand manner, "You look really good."

"So do you," Zuko sighed in return, virtually drinking in the sight of her, "…really nice…" He snapped himself erect when he realized he was mooning. "I…I mean, I didn't think I'd see you again," he covered hastily with a deep scowl. He battled internally with himself not to care while knowing that it was an impossible fight at the same time.

Mai seemed to be waging a similar battle. Her smile threatened to broaden but she staunchly bit it back. She couldn't understand why she was so inordinately happy to see him. In essence, they had spent a grand total of two hours together in a dank environment with the threat of death hanging over their heads the entire time. He was obnoxious and impatient and quite temperamental and yet, for some unfathomable reason, he intrigued her. Mai was surprised to discover that she liked being in his company. This boy whom she had only just met, her enemy…she felt an unexplainable kinship with him, something that had begun with an action as simple as asking him his name. Something fundamental had changed between them after that and now…there was no turning back.

As they stood there together, it seemed that the sound and the people around them melted away. They were like two old friends coming together again. Forgotten were their obligations and duties and the danger that lurked as a result of their precipitous encounter. Forgotten was the fact that they were on opposite sides of the war. Forgotten was the fact that they were virtual strangers. In those fleeting seconds, none of it mattered because they were simply happy to see one another…as happy as either of them could get anyway.

Still, Mai felt compelled to find an explanation for it. She wasn't a romantic girl and therefore did not believe in star-crossed lovers and all that nonsense. She seriously doubted Zuko had the stomach for it either. From a purely logical standpoint, she could reason that their ordeal together in that cave had left them with residual effects. Of course an unusual closeness had formed between them. In those hours when they had been sure they would die, they had spoken of many things, not just a means of escape.

Mai had told Zuko things she'd never told another living soul, not even Aang. She had shared with him her disappointment in her family and her home-life, even while she had pretended not to be bothered by it at all. But somehow, Zuko had known the truth…and he had understood. At the time, Mai had figured there was nothing to lose by telling him those things. They both were going to die anyway. Mai pursed her lips at the irony. It was funny the way the world turned unexpectedly sometimes.

"I was actually hoping I _wouldn't_ see you again," she informed him dryly. "This isn't a good thing, you know?"

"It's not?" Zuko burst out in affront, "Why?"

"Because my presence here doesn't mean very good things for you, Zuko." He stared at her blankly. "Azula," Mai provided dryly, "Remember her? She's trying to kill you." It was then that her senses were shocked with the gravity of the situation. She suddenly remembered who she was and who he was and the imminent danger that surrounded them.

Before Zuko knew her intentions, she grabbed hold of him and forcefully pushed him into a nearby, darkened alleyway out of the crowd's sight. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Do you have a death wish? Azula is in the city!"

"You mean she's here _right now_?" Zuko cried in disbelief.

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"That doesn't mean anything," he dismissed impatiently, "It's not like you have to be joined at the hip. I do things without my friends all the time."

"What are you talking about? That's not important!" Mai pressed on, "The point is…she's here and you need to go. I'll give you a head-start before I start throwing knives at your head."

Unfortunately, Zuko was rather resistant to her efforts to push him off. "But how did this happen? How did she even find us?"

"Your bison," Mai told him. "I guess he must be shedding and he's leaving hair wherever he goes. That's how we were able to track you this far!"

"That's it! I've had it," Zuko snapped. "I'm going to end this right now!"

However, as he started to march from their hiding place with the intention of tracking Azula down and confronting her, Mai yanked him back by the collar. "Don't be an idiot!" she whispered fiercely. "You can't just go and challenge her! You don't know Azula like I do."

"I've seen her fight," Zuko acknowledged glibly. "She's good, but I'm better."

"This isn't about bending, you moron," Mai said, "Besides, you're way too cocky. You shouldn't underestimate Azula."

"Then what is it about?" Zuko challenged. "Do you not want me to hurt her because she's your friend?"

"Please," Mai snorted dubiously. "She's not my friend."

"Then what?"

"Who is going to _die_ in the process?" Mai queried. "Zuko, you might take her down, but not before she's destroyed everything and everyone you love in the process. She knows how much you care about your friends and she'll use them to get to you. Is that what you want? Think about _them_, Zuko. Don't let them get hurt. You should get out of here as soon as you can before Azula discovers you."

"What about you?" he demanded fiercely. "You travel with her! You're in danger every second you're with her, Mai!"

His concern took her off guard. Her carefully controlled expression slipped for the briefest second before she composed herself again. "I can take care of myself."

Impulsively, Zuko took hold of her wrist, the tight hold of his fingers transmitting the urgency in his next words. "You should come with me and my friends," he implored. "I can help you. You don't have to be afraid of her. I'll keep you safe, Mai."

She shook her head, tugging her arm from his grasp. "I'm where I belong."

"That's a lie. You don't want this life."

"Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?" she asked in a forced, neutral tone, "You don't know what I want. You barely know me, Zuko."

"You don't think I know that?" he demanded tersely, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do! I know what I'm suggesting is crazy and doesn't make any sense, but the idea of just walking away and pretending none of this happened…" He expelled an aggravated breath. "I don't want to walk away and forget about you. That _has_ to mean something."

"It means we were desperate and we told each other things that we shouldn't have because we thought we were going to die," Mai reasoned.

"Was that really the only reason?" Zuko charged. "I don't share things with people easily and, when I do, they've worked hard for it. But it wasn't hard to talk to you. It was like you already knew me anyway." It had taken a lot for him to confess that and Mai knew it. Furthermore, she felt the same, but she refrained from telling him that, mostly because she knew nothing good would come of the admission. "Don't you want us to be friends?" Zuko pressed stubbornly.

"I'm not saying that day in the cave didn't mean anything," Mai argued, "but it never would have happened if we'd met under different circumstances. Friendship between us would have never been a possibility."

"So maybe it happened for a reason."

"You mean like it was fate? Whatever! Destiny didn't bring us together, Zuko. _Azula_ did," Mai declared brutally. "We _cannot_ be friends. We can't be anything. This," she continued, gesturing between them, "it's not happening ever again."

"Why? Who says we can't be friends? Who makes these rules?"

"The Firelord. _You_," she stressed, "That's just how it is."

"I don't accept that," Zuko maintained obstinately. "I want us to be friends, Mai and I want you to be free. You don't have to keep doing what you're doing. If your family hates you for that, then they never deserved you in the first place!"

For a brief second, Mai let herself entertain his suggestion before dismissing it altogether. "It's not as simple as you're making it sound," she sighed despondently and then she plowed past his possible rebuttals by saying, "None of this is important anyway. You're in danger and you need to leave, Zuko."

But he didn't leave. "It _is_ that simple," Zuko insisted. "You can walk away and I'll protect you."

"Protect me!" she scoffed, turning her back to him. "Zuko, you're only thirteen! You can barely protect yourself!"

"I think I've done a fine job of it so far!" he volleyed back, "And I've survived some pretty awful stuff. You don't know what I'm capable of! You don't know what I can survive!"

Mai cut him a piercing glance because she had no argument against that. Despite his age and inexperience, Zuko was an incredibly strong-minded person. He had the fate of the entire world rested upon his shoulders and it had yet to break his will or his spirit. Zhao had been unable to contain him. The Firelord and Azula still hadn't managed to vanquish him. Mai had little doubt that he would survive. She sensed it in him. So then she had no reason to doubt he would make good on his promise to keep her safe as well. Still, she felt compelled to reject his offer because entertaining his suggestion would only spell disaster for them both.

"Stop it," she ordered him brusquely. "I thought you knew better than to buy into silly, romantic notions. Allow me to clarify matters for you. This is our reality. We're enemies and we're at war. Just because you know some personal things about me that doesn't mean you can decide what is right and wrong for me. You're set on destroying my nation and my way of life. I can't ignore that."

"You don't care about that and you know it," he accused.

"Stop making assumptions. Peoples _lives_ are at stake, Zuko, and it matters," she insisted, "Maybe not to me, but to my family and to my countrymen. It's not a simple matter of switching sides. Besides, who says I want to?"

"The Fire Nation needs to be stopped, Mai. It's my destiny to do that, but that doesn't mean I want to destroy _you_," Zuko pointed out. "I don't want that. But, if you keep on this way, you'll leave me with no choice."

Mai crossed her arms in satisfaction. "And you've just proven my point."

Zuko threw back his head and growled to the heavens. "What is wrong with you?" he ranted, "I'm trying to offer you a new life, a _better_ one!"

"I'll pass," she replied glibly.

"I know you want to come with me, Mai," Zuko hissed obstinately, "Otherwise, why would you keep helping me? You're not making sense!"

"Do you want me to stop helping you?" she challenged, "Because I can. The only reason I'm sticking my neck out for you is because Aang asked me to."

"You are such a liar," he bit out fiercely. She regarded him with an unreadable expression, but her eyes were alive with emotion. "You can't stand with one foot in either camp forever, Mai! Sooner or later, you're going to lose your balance and fall hard!"

"Thank you for that wise and sensible proverb. Did you make that up on the spot or did you have to think about it real hard?"

Her bland response was the final straw for Zuko and his simmering temper finally boiled over. "Fine!" he snapped impatiently. "Make jokes! You don't want to let me help you? You want to stay? Stay! I don't care what you do anymore. It's your life!" He pivoted on his heel and began walking away, so angry and frustrated he could literally explode.

"Zuko, where are you going?" Mai sighed in aggravation.

"To get my friends," he replied in parting shot, "Thanks for the heads up! Don't bother helping me again! I can get along just fine without you!"

For some reason those last words did more damage to Mai than anything else and, without warning, she lost her composure and her temper. "Yeah, walk away! You don't get to judge me!" she snapped at his retreating back. "You don't know what my life is like!" He didn't slow his gait or turn back to look at her. Mai watched him disappear around the perimeter of the fountain, her heart contracting painfully as she finally lost sight of him. "You don't know."

****

"So who should we scam next?" Toph asked Sokka.

"I don't know," Sokka hedged, "I think we've made more than enough money tonight. We're starting to draw attention to ourselves. Besides, it's getting close to dinner time and I'm starving!"

"That's too bad," Azula pouted from behind them, "I'm thinking you're going to miss it."

Sokka darted back just in time to miss the fiery sting of Azula's attack while Toph built up a shelf of rock to protect herself. A second later, she rounded on Azula with an incredulous scowl. "Am I supposed to know you or something?" she demanded, "What was that for?"

Azula was inordinately amused by the question. "Oh, I see you've added someone knew to the bunch," she observed brightly. "Splendid. More fun for me." Almost leisurely, she took several darting shots at Toph, expecting to take the younger girl out easily and quickly. Toph surprised her by countering her every blow, blocking each sizzling blast with a shaft of rock. "Well, it seems the Avatar has found himself a master despite the odds," Azula drawled.

"What's it to you?" Toph spat back. "You got a problem with that?"

"Actually, I do," Azula snapped back, irritated. "Ty Lee, take care of the boy," she ordered with a narrowed stare leveled on Toph, "I want this one all to myself."

"Bring it," Toph invited cockily.

"I intend to," Azula promised in a silken tone.

She slid her feet fluidly across the ground in a figure-eight pattern, charging up for her lightning strike as Ty Lee flipped through the air to cut Sokka down. In a simultaneous blur, Toph bent up a rock wall that absorbed the electrical hit. It burst into flames, which were blown out mere seconds later by a stiff wall of wind. Ty Lee was knocked back just before she made contact with Sokka's shoulders and arms.

Zuko emerged out of the dust cloud with his glider at the ready. "Climb on," he ordered his friends tersely. They scrambled onto the back of his glider, screaming in terror as Zuko ducked and dodged the crackling jets of lightning and blue fire Azula launched after them.

Only when they had completely disappeared from her sight, did Azula cease her attack. She huffed to herself, frustrated not only because the Avatar had eluded her yet again but also because she had failed in preventing the one thing she'd been determined to do. After everything she had done to thwart him, he had still, somehow, managed to learn earthbending. And, his instructor unfortunately, was a capable one. Her father's desire for her to return with the Avatar alive could not stand. The boy was much too powerful already. Azula knew that if she had any chance of turning matters her way, she would have to kill him.

But there was something else as well. There was no reason why she and Ty Lee shouldn't have been able to take the Avatar's friends without incident. Yet, like a swooping hero, he showed up in just the nick of time to save them. Azula found the timing much too coincidental, especially when she considered Mai's conspicuous absence during the entire battle. Suspicion nagged at her.

She didn't like it. More than once, since their brief encounter in that cave outside of Omashu, Azula had wondered if Mai's loyalties had changed. She had spent more than two hours alone with the Avatar and yet, when Azula had pressed her for details, Mai had shared very little. She claimed that nothing happened at all, but her eyes told another story. Azula had known she was hiding something, but she cleverly kept her misgivings to herself.

Before, she had only _suspected_ that Mai had purposely let the Avatar go that day. Now, she was absolutely certain. Mai was betraying her. Azula could think of only two reasons why her "friend" would risk so much, her freedom and her life, for a boy she'd only just met. Either something profound must have happened between her and the Avatar in that cave _or_ her friendship with Aang wasn't as dead as she claimed and Mai had been sabotaging her the entire time.

Azula couldn't be sure what it had been nor did she particularly care. Whatever her motivations, Mai would pay for her duplicity, Azula decided coldly, and with interest. In the meantime, Azula would take every opportunity she could to exploit Mai's weakness. She would destroy the Avatar and, ultimately, she would use Mai's divided loyalty to do it.

Having taken a little time to compose herself following her fight with Zuko, Mai happened upon the scene mere seconds later and emitted a small, choking sound over what she found. Azula and Ty Lee stood in the center of the demolished and smoking square, seemingly impervious to the townspeople cowering behind crates and overturned wagons while they stared up into the darkening sky. Instantly, she assimilated that a confrontation with Zuko had taken place, but since he was nowhere in sight, Mai was confident that he'd gotten away safely and, therefore, didn't let herself worry.

Careful to keep her features unreadable, Mai went to stand alongside Azula and Ty Lee, peering up as well, but seeing nothing except the orange kissed clouds of dusk. "Umm…" she drawled dryly, "is there something interesting I'm missing here?"

Azula turned to regard her with a feline smile. "Not at all, Mai," she said. "You didn't miss a thing."


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter** **Thirty**

Zuko was not in the best mood.

In the space of one hour his disposition had soured dramatically. As he raced Appa through the skies, mouth set tight and figuratively snapping off the head of anyone who dared to speak to him, Sokka and Katara seemed reluctant and even eager not to engage him. Even Momo knew better than to go near him. The tiny lemur lay curled in the safety of Katara's lap, rather than assuming his usual perch alongside Zuko.

It was a routine that was usual for them, but highly unusual for Toph, especially considering the circumstances. The explanation was simply that he "got like that" sometimes and that "it would pass eventually." For Toph, that was hardly satisfactory. Someone had just tried to kill her and for no other reason than because she was in their company. Somehow they had forgotten to mention that little tidbit when they'd recruited her as Zuko's earthbending teacher.

"Okay, I stand corrected about the whole break thing," Toph admitted, breaking the stagnant silence that had settled within the confines of Appa's saddle. "Now somebody tell me who was that crazy Firebender trying to kill us."

Though her question had really been directed at Zuko, it was Sokka who answered. "That was Azula. She's the Firelord's daughter."

"Did you guys kick her royal puppy or something?" she muttered to herself irascibly.

Sokka snickered. "She'd probably kick it herself."

"All I know is that I felt a lot of fire," Toph continued in a louder tone, "and my hair is standing up on end for some weird reason." She patted down the floating tendrils as best she could.

"You're not the only one," Katara said, pointing to Sokka, whose hair also stood at crackling attention, "That's probably from the static charge of Azula's strike."

"Static charge?" Toph echoed dumbly.

"She shoots lightning in addition to crazy blue fire," Sokka provided in a flat tone.

Toph digested that with a surprising degree of calm. "Well, that's just fantastic!" she replied in a tone that expressed the exact opposite, "An electrically charged pyromaniac for an enemy! Zuko, how did you get so lucky?" she wondered derisively, attempting to engage her taciturn companion once again. "I know we're at war, but she seems to hate you more than the usual amount."

"I'm alive," he answered tersely, "For some reason that irritates her."

She fell back into the saddle with an annoyed "hrmph." "Thank you, Moodbender," she groused, "That was very helpful."

"Um…I think what Zuko means is that Azula wants to use him as a means to gain her father's approval," Katara explained lamely, "That's why she's so intent on capturing him."

Toph rolled onto her belly. "She seemed more intent on _killing_ him to me."

"Yeah, she's just like that," Katara replied, "But I doubt she really wants Zuko dead. You see, Azula has always been second best when compared to her older brother Aang, especially when it came to having their father's attention. I guess it gradually twisted something inside of her. I guess it doesn't help that their mom walked out on them too. She probably thinks that if she captures Zuko and turns him over to her father, she'll finally have his love or something. It's pretty sad when you think about it."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Sokka demanded with a dubious grimace.

Katara shrugged. "I told you. Aang and I used to talk a lot. Maybe you would have learned those things too if you weren't so busy challenging him to belching contests." She shuddered at the disgusting memory.

"Hey, don't knock my efforts! I kept him manly!" Sokka argued.

"While this is all very deep and nostalgic, you guys," Toph began in a patronizing tone, "I'm still wondering why that Azula chick tried to kill _me_. I could understand if she attacked _you_ and I got caught in the middle, but she came after me like she had a grudge! She doesn't even know me! What's that about? Am I now considered the enemy just because I'm with you?"

"Pretty much. She's crazy like that," Sokka declared bluntly.

"It would have been nice if you'd mentioned that beforehand," Toph grumbled.

"What did you expect, Toph?" Zuko barked shortly, "I'm the Avatar and an enemy of the Fire Nation! Did you think this journey was going to be a frolic through the meadow?"

"No! But I wasn't expecting to have my head shot off with lightning either!" Toph retorted.

"Well, if you're going to whine about it, then I can take you back home," Zuko shot back, "Just say the word. I don't have time for the drama!"

"I'm not being dramatic and I'm not whining! You don't have to take me back home," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest at the tacit challenge. "Don't talk to me like I'm a coward. I don't run from anything," she declared succinctly, "But I want to know what I'm dealing with from now on. So who else is after you? Is that chick's brother as crazy as she is?"

"Aang's nothing like Azula!" Zuko bit out fiercely.

Toph's eyebrows shot up at Zuko's sharp tone. "Did I hit a nerve? Aren't we talking about a Firebender, the _brother_ of the one who recently tried to maim you?"

"Aang was before your time," Sokka informed her. "He used to travel with us. When we met him he was on a quest to find the Avatar. We didn't trust him at first, but he grew on us eventually."

"He left his home and his family, practically everything he ever knew just so he could find the Avatar and help end the war," Katara piped in, her tone quiet and proud, "He was going to teach Zuko firebending and we all got really close. But then we had a run in with his sister and…"

"…Oh," Toph concluded before she'd even finished his account, "He's one of those dead people you were talking about earlier, huh?"

"Not dead," Sokka corrected. "_Presumed_ dead…for a while anyway."

"Okay, you lost me," Toph said.

"There was an accident and we thought that Aang had died, but he didn't," Katara explained.

"So where is he now?" Toph wondered.

"His uncle says he's safe, but we actually don't know where he is," Zuko replied, "He never made his way back to us and he would have had he been able, so likely, he's been in a Fire Nation prison this whole time." His expression darkened. "Who knows how they're treating him."

"But he's alive," Katara stressed, "and that's all that matters for now."

"So are you guys planning on busting him out next?" Toph asked, vacillating internally over whether she found the prospect exciting or suicidal. Sokka, however, ended the wavering for her rather quickly.

"Are you kidding?" he snorted. "We wouldn't even know where to look for him! It's not like it hasn't crossed our minds since we found out. It has, but it's impossible. We barely made it out alive the last time."

"Besides, Aang knew the risks and he gladly accepted them," Zuko interjected tautly. "He knew our top priority had to be me learning the elements. He wouldn't have expected us to go back for him."

"But you know practically all the elements now," Toph reasoned. "The only one that's left is fire. It seems to me having your friend here would come in handy."

"I have another teacher," Zuko replied simply. "That's why we're on our way to Ba Sing Se. We're going to meet him."

"Oh, I see," Toph snorted, "You have a replacement now, so why bother with the original?"

"No, that isn't it at all!" Zuko flashed out hotly, "I'm doing what _Aang_ expected me to do! You don't know anything about my motives so stop acting like you can read me!"

"What's eating him?" Toph mumbled when Zuko dismissed her altogether and returning his full attention to brooding and steering Appa. "I was just messing around. Does he always take stuff so seriously?"

"He hates running," Katara explained in a low tone, "He'd rather stand and fight. I think he's ready for this whole thing to be over."

"Not to mention, running for your life every other day kind of gets old after a while," Sokka added mordantly.

"It's something else," Toph murmured, "He's not just angry. He seems hurt too."

"You mean like he was injured?" Katara burst out worriedly.

"No, like he got his _feelings _hurt," Toph clarified.

"That's ridiculous!" Sokka snorted. "You don't know Zuko. He _never_ gets his feelings hurt."

Toph lifted her shoulders in an unconcerned shrug. "If you say so," she replied, "But if he's like this the whole way to Ba Sing Se, I might just consider walking."

****

"Sokka, I need the map."

Groggily, Sokka became aware of a stiff jostling. He blinked away sleep and focused his eyes on Zuko's anxious features. Very slowly he came to realize that dusk was falling. Apparently, his nap had lasted for much longer than he'd intended. Furthermore, they were no longer flying _and_ that they appeared to be surrounded by miles and miles of barren desert. That last part seemed so ludicrous that Sokka was initially inclined to believe he was dreaming. However, when he swung upright and the "dream" failed to dissipate, a deep, befuddled scowl settled between his brows.

"Where are we?" he asked slowly.

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me," Zuko replied.

Not liking the sound of that at all, Sokka reflexively glanced over to where Toph and Katara were curled up together in the far corner of the saddle before asking Zuko in a sleep-roughened tone, "What's going on?"

"I think I took a wrong turn," the Airbender confided.

"So you stopped in the middle of the desert?" Sokka bleated incredulously. "I thought you knew where you were going!"

"I do and I don't," Zuko mumbled cryptically, "I need to look at the map. Where is it?"

"With my beautiful supply of mouthwatering seal jerky," Sokka muttered in mild bitterness. Zuko stared at him blankly, not catching the older boy's meaning. "We don't have it anymore," Sokka clarified. "You were in such a hurry to leave after Azula, we left half our stuff behind, remember?" Growing steadily more concerned by the preoccupied expression on Zuko's face, Sokka asked again, more stridently, "Zuko, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," he whispered. "I guess I must have dozed off for a little while and I had this weird dream—,"

Sokka groaned before he could go any further. "Oh no, please don't tell me. Not another weird dream—,"

"—there was this white column rising out of the sand and an owl and it was calling to me," Zuko explained in confusion, "When I opened my eyes again, we were here…like something drew me. I need to find that column."

"No way! I don't care if it _kicked_ you here! We can't stay," Sokka rushed out, already discerning the otherworldly gleam in Zuko's eyes and shaking his head. "No, no, no. Need I remind you of the last horrific disaster we encountered when you had a weird dream? Let's just keep flying to Ba Sing Se and save ourselves the aggravation!"

"Save ourselves the aggravation from what?" Katara wondered drowsily, catching the tail end of Sokka's rant as she swung upright and contorted her body in a languid stretch. She paused mid-extension, though, when she noticed the unfamiliar peculiarity of their surroundings a split second later. "Um…why are we in the middle of nowhere?"

As she voiced her question, Toph began to rise from her slumber as well. She yawned. "We're in the middle of what?"

"Zuko landed us in the desert because it was calling to him," Sokka declared dryly.

"I don't expect you guys to understand," Zuko mumbled, scooting himself over the top of Appa's saddle to float down to the ground. "I know it sounds crazy!" Despite his frustration, however, he still made an attempt to explain himself because he needed them to understand him, even when he didn't completely understand himself. "I didn't ask for this. It just happens and I can't ignore it because that's like ignoring a vital part of me. I have to listen." A moment later he felt Katara's fingers curve over the top of his shoulder. He turned to find her regarding him with a sympathetic smile.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked him softly.

"I need to find that column," Zuko stated urgently. "In my dream, I was lost in a thick mist, but Gyatso calling me and so I ran towards the sound of his voice. My heart was pounding so hard and…and for a moment it felt like he was really alive again." He swallowed thickly before continuing. "When the mist cleared though, I didn't find Gyatso. Instead, I found myself standing before this large, white column that rose up out of the sand. And there was this giant owl circling above it and his name was…Wan Shi Tong. I asked him what it all meant and he told me he was waiting for me. Then I woke up and we were here."

"In the middle of nowhere," Sokka concluded dryly as he and Toph scrambled down from atop Appa to join them below.

"Hush, Sokka!" Katara admonished him sharply, "If Zuko says the desert was calling to him, then this is where we need to be!"

"Okay, fine. Have it your way," he grumbled, "but when something explodes, don't say I didn't warn you."

Katara ignored him. "What should we do, Zuko?"

"I need to find that column," he said again.

"You mean like the one way over there?" Toph asked, point off towards somewhere that was beyond the large dunes surrounding them. Her three companions looked in the direction she'd indicated, however, and saw nothing.

"Toph, there's only sand," Zuko told her.

"I'm talking about _beyond_ the dunes," she clarified a little irritably. "Granted my vision is a bit fuzzy on all this shifty sand, but I know it's there. And by the way, it's not a column. It's part of a large, underground building and I do mean _large_."

Zuko stared at her in gaping amazement. "Show us."

They had to trek over several dunes before they found it, but once they did Zuko knew immediately that the towering column was the one from his dream. A chill of recognition trembled down his spine. It had been bleached to a brilliant gleam in the desert sun and was ringed clear to its apex with a decorative, swirling band of stone lattice. Near the top, there was a neat row of square windows, the only visible entrances into the structure. Zuko drifted forward and smoothed a hand down the façade of the tower.

"Now what?" Sokka wanted to know.

Zuko glanced over at Toph. "You said there's an entire building under here, right?"

"Right," she confirmed, "and it's not filled with sand, if that's what you're worried about."

"Then let's go," Zuko decided.

"You want to go inside?" Katara gasped, "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"Up there," Zuko replied, pointing to a window near the apex of the column. "We'll go in through that window."

"But…but we don't even know what's inside," Sokka protested, "What if there are bad things in there?"

"I have to know," Zuko maintained. "If you guys want to stay out here, I won't hold it against you."

"Yes, you will," Katara contradicted dryly, "But it doesn't matter because we're coming with you anyway."

Zuko almost smiled. "Good." He turned to give his bison a brief, but loving nuzzle. "I won't take you with us," he murmured to Appa, "I know how you hate being underground." He flicked a glance towards Momo. "Stay with him," Zuko ordered firmly, "If there's trouble, come and find me. Do you understand, Momo?" The lemur regarded him with round, fathomless green eyes.

"Do you think he understands?" Sokka mumbled skeptically.

"He understands," Zuko determined after a moment of silence, "Let's go."

After gliding up to the foremost window to attach a grappling hook in the sill, Zuko waited there while Sokka and Katara quickly scaled their way up the side of the building. When they finally joined him, he swung to rope onto the other side of the window for the climb down. As they carefully lowered themselves down into the building's murky interior, it gradually became apparent what they had found was no ordinary structure. Every wall of the room, nearly from ceiling to floor was lined with books and each one looked as if it had been kept in pristine condition. In fact, the entire place was pristine in spite of being buried beneath the desert sand.

"It's a library!" Katara exclaimed in wonder.

"I've never seen so many books in my life," Sokka guffawed.

"Great," Toph muttered to herself, "That's just what I was hoping to find. Hoorah." She was unhappy to discover that what she'd hoped would be a grand adventure would likely turn out to be little more than a foray into never-ending boredom. "I knew I should have stayed with the bison and the monkey."

Upon reaching the marbled ground below, they heard a great whooshing sound and the owl from Zuko's vision materialized only a few feet in front of them. While Sokka and Katara cringed and fled behind a nearby pillar, dragging a pouting Toph behind them, Zuko boldly stepped forward to face the strange, majestic creature.

"Greetings, Avatar. I am Wan Shi Tong," the owl announced, "He who knows 10,000 things. I am the spirit who brought all that you see here to the physical world."

"Why did you call me?" Zuko demanded bluntly as his friends gradually filtered out from their hiding places.

"_I_ did not call," Wan Shi Tong denied, "_You_ did…and I answered."

"I don't understand," Zuko mumbled.

"You are searching for answers," Wan Shi Tong observed, "And if you are to find them anywhere, it would be here. However, recognize the privilege you have been granted. I have not permitted humans in my study for many years."

"Why not?" Katara wondered timidly.

"Humans feed on death and destruction," the spirit intoned haughtily. "Knowledge is now used as a weapon, rather than seen as a gift. Humans have lost their respect for life's precious wonders and, as a result, have lost the right to access my prized tomes."

"So why are you letting us do it?" Toph queried suspiciously.

Wan Shi Tong settled his fathomless stare on Zuko. "I suspect the Avatar's quest is one for knowledge only and for that reason, I will permit you inside my private quarters."

"Where do I start?" Zuko asked him.

"I have an extensive section on the Air Nomad culture, as well as an entire archive dedicated to the history of the Avatar," Wan Shi Tong informed him. "Feel free to peruse it at your leisure. I grant you permission to do so on one condition. You must not misuse any of the knowledge you gain here. Were you to do that, the penalty would be death."

"Death?" Sokka gulped audibly.

The owl turned a penetrating look towards Sokka. "Yes, unless I'm feeling particularly merciful."

"Are you feeling merciful today?" Sokka squeaked hopefully.

"Are you planning to test me?" the owl countered coolly.

"No," Zuko answered, leveling a meaningful glance towards Sokka, "We aren't." He bowed respectfully before the owl spirit. "Thank you for your generosity, wise spirit."

"You are welcome, Avatar," Wan Shi Tong replied, "Enjoy the library."

As he flew up into the rafters above and disappeared, Sokka came to stand alongside Zuko. "So what exactly are we supposed to do in here?" he asked. "Don't you already know all there is about being an Airbender and the Avatar?"

"Actually, I don't," Zuko replied brusquely. "Besides the Air Temples, this place is the only archive of my people's history that's left in the entire world." For weeks, he had been feeling disconnected from his heritage, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. He felt like he didn't know himself anymore and Zuko hoped that by reacquainting himself with his people's traditions and beliefs he could find himself again. "I want to look it over, if that's okay with everyone."

"It's fine," Katara said, speaking for all of them. "I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind." Zuko nodded his permission.

"Well, I guess I can try to find us another map," Sokka sighed agreeably. "There must be one in here somewhere…"

"I'll stick around here, you guys," Toph said as they started to go off.

Katara flashed a curious frown over her shoulder. "You have something against books?"

"Well, I've held them before and I gotta tell you…they don't really do it for me, Katara," Toph replied cheekily.

"Oh…right," Katara said, belatedly remembering Toph's blindness with a sheepish grimace, "I guess you can stay here and keep watch in case there's trouble."

"Way ahead of you," Toph said, already folding herself down to the ground. "I need to clean out the dirt from in between my toes anyway."

"Well, you enjoy that then," Zuko called back with a measure of flustered disgust as he and Katara walked away, "We shouldn't be too long."

"So what are you looking for?" Katara asked him when they were alone.

"Answers, peace…direction," Zuko answered glumly.

"You're depressed, huh?" Katara surmised.

"I'm confused," he expressed glumly. "Everyone has this expectation of how the Avatar should act, of how an _Airbender_ should act. Even I have expectations about it, and I can't help but feel like I'm failing. It's like there are three people living inside of me, the Avatar, the Air Nomad and _me_, and they all are going in completely opposite directions. I don't know who I'm supposed to be."

"You're doing the best you can, Zuko," Katara reassured him. "You're trying to figure out who you are _and_ save the world at the same time. That can't be easy."

"But I have to do it regardless," Zuko sighed, turning his gaze towards Wan Shi Tong's vast collections. "Maybe something in these books will help."

Two hours later, Zuko still had not found the answers he sought. He'd discovered quite a thorough history on his people, however, and even an early genealogy record, but nothing to help him figure out how to be the Avatar, an Air Nomad and yet keep true to himself all at the same time. Zuko was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to do so.

"I didn't know that," Katara mumbled to herself, startling Zuko out of his dark musings.

"You didn't know what?" He went over to sit beside her, peering over at the book she was reading. "What is that?"

"It's a detailed account of Air Nomad culture. I didn't know that only a select number of children were dedicated to the Air Temples," she said as she avidly perused the pages, "It seems the others split their time between their parents at the corresponding Air Temples." She glanced up at Zuko. "I…I just always assumed that Air Nomad children didn't know their parents."

"Not necessarily," Zuko explained. "Typically, a girl child was raised with her mother at the Air Temples for the remainder of her life and her father would visit often, especially during the festivals. Boy children stayed with their mothers only until they were weaned and then they were sent to live with their fathers in the Southern or Northern Air Temples."

"So you were never together like a normal family?"

"For us, it was normal," Zuko explained. "We always saw one another because we were always traveling between Temples and sometimes we traveled together to other places. It wasn't as if we were isolated and deprived of each other. In a way, it felt like our entire nation was one, large extended family."

"Is that what happened to you? You would travel to see your mom every so often?"

"I was dedicated," Zuko told her. "I never knew my father or my mother…at least, not as my parents anyway."

"What does that mean exactly…to be dedicated?"

"Dedicated children were groomed to become the guardians and keepers of the Air Temples," Zuko said. "We weren't chosen for the privilege. My destiny was decided long before I was born."

"So you were always special?" Katara concluded with an awed smile.

Zuko snorted a laugh. "You're one of the few people in the world who thinks so, Katara," he replied self-consciously.

"I wish you could see what I see when I look at you," she sighed despondently.

"And what's that?"

"Someone amazing. He just hasn't figured it out yet."

Sokka inevitably shattered the profound moment between them when he suddenly burst into that section of the library with loud, excited cries of, "You guys! You guys!"

"Can you yell a little louder?" Zuko hissed crossly, "I don't think they heard you in Ba Sing Se!"

"What happened on the darkest day in Fire Nation history?" Sokka asked, ignoring Zuko's blazing sarcasm.

"Is this a riddle?" Katara wondered.

"I found this," Sokka said, producing a tattered parchment from the folds of his tunic, "It has a date at the top and it mentions something about the 'darkest day in Fire Nation history,' but the rest of it is burned away. I can't make it out."

"Where'd you get this?" Zuko demanded, scowling as he looked over Sokka's find. He peered at his friend suspiciously. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

"I _borrowed_ it," Sokka evaded, "But that's not important right now. Do you have any idea what this is talking about? Did anything significant happen to the Fire Nation one hundred years ago?"

"Not that I know of," Zuko answered.

"Well, I did read something weird in one of these books before, but I dismissed it," Katara piped in carefully.

Sokka practically jumped all over her. "What was it?"

"Calm down," she huffed. "It was just this tiny paragraph in one of these books, about a society that venerated the Air Nomads and held them in high esteem. After the genocide, they formulated a plan to assassinate Firelord Sozin on the day the 'sun disappeared,' whatever that means," Katara went on rather dismissively, "Anyway, whatever happened, these people cut a path through the Fire Nation and slaughtered hundreds. It was thought that the war would end that day. Afterwards, the "sun reappeared" and, when Sozin collected himself, he had the society cut down. That was the last uprising in the name of the Air Nomads. That's all it said."

"The sun disappearing and reappearing?" Zuko murmured to himself in speculation, "That sounds a lot like what happened to the moon at the North Pole."

"Oh great," Sokka groaned, "Another crazy person taking it upon themselves to kill a spirit in order to destroy a nation. Don't people take the time to think things through anymore?"

"I don't think so," Zuko considered. "If these people truly venerated the Air Nomads, I can't see them doing that. That would be taking things much too far. Besides, the sun spirit would have to be on earth in mortal form, like the Ocean and Moon spirits and I don't think that it is."

"So what would cause the sun to 'disappear' and then 'reappear?'"

"Something natural that has nothing to do with us at all," Sokka declared as the answer suddenly dawned on him, "A solar eclipse! Firebenders must lose their bending ability during an eclipse!"

"That makes sense," Katara breathed, "Look what happened to the Waterbenders at the North Pole when the moon disappeared. Wow. This is huge, Sokka." She emitted a tiny gasp. "Now that I think about it, there was a list of dates right beneath the passage, but I didn't know what they were."

"Where's that book, Katara?" Sokka demanded.

Katara turned to regard the stacks and stacks of books she'd scattered across the floor. "It's…um…in one of those piles…I think…" she hedged. She glanced over to an adjacent mountain she'd unearthed as well. "Or maybe it's over there."

"That's just fabulous, Katara," Sokka grumbled. "What color was it?"

"It was thick and dark blue," she said, "It had a gold Air Nomad symbol on the front. But Sokka, I don't even remember what chapter I read that in…I was just thumbing through it."

"Doesn't matter," her brother dismissed, "Help me find it."

As Katara and Zuko helped Sokka paw through the clutter to find the books, Toph came dashing down the aisle, following closely behind by a soaring Momo. "Guys, I think there's a problem," she informed them breathlessly, "Momo came flying in a few minutes ago and he was chattering all crazy and I don't speak lemur so I don't know what he's saying and—,"

"Toph, what is it?" Zuko interrupted stridently.

"I think something's happening with Appa."

She hadn't even finished the sentence before Zuko was taking off for the exit. Toph and Momo whirled to follow him, as did Katara, but when she realized that Sokka was lingering, she hesitated. "Come on!" she urged impatiently, "Appa might be in trouble!"

"I'm coming!" he replied as he flipped frantically through the piles, "I just need to find that book!"

"We can come back later when we know Appa's safe!"

"Katara, that's not going to happen!" he retorted, continuing his search, "That owl spirit barely wanted us in here in the first place. I doubt he'll let us come back just so we can…" He trailed off as he discovered a book that fit Katara's earlier description. He heaved it upright so that she could get a glimpse. "Is this it?" She jerked a nod of confirmation. "Okay, let's go!"

"You're just going to take it?" she cried incredulously as they ran along.

"What choice do I have?"

"You have many choices," Wan Shi Tong intoned, landing his large, feathered body between Sokka, Katara and the exit. He peered down at Sokka with his large, black eyes. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to take that book with you."

"You don't understand," Sokka pleaded, "There is vital information in here that I need."

"Then stay and read it at your leisure," the spirit invited.

"We can't stay!" Katara explained impatiently, "Our friend is in trouble and we need to go!"

To emphasize that point, Zuko called after them. "Hurry up!"

The urgency of the situation, however, failed to move Wan Shi Tong. He extended his wing in expectation towards Sokka. "The book, please." The Water Tribe siblings took the only avenue available to them: they ran.

Wan Shi Tong gave chase. He stalked them in and out of the aisles, his neck extended in predatory efficiency, his sharp beak nipping closely at their heels. "Just keep going!" Katara cried out to Zuko and Toph as they hesitated ahead, "Get to Appa! We're on our way!"

Zuko threw open his glider and instructed Toph to hop on. As they flew up towards the exit with Momo flanking them, the owl spirit pounced on Katara and Sokka. Right before his mighty talons could cut through their flesh, they pivoted together on a sharp left turn, throwing the big bird off course so that he tumbled into a towering book shelf and knocked it down. When Wan Shi Tong righted himself, he was thoroughly enraged and Katara and Sokka had already put some distance between them by running back in the direction they'd just come from.

"What are you doing? I thought we were trying to _escape_!" Sokka screeched.

"I have a plan! This would probably go a lot smoother if you dropped the book!" Katara suggested.

"Not going to happen," Sokka answered without hesitation.

They could hear the owl spirit's flapping approach from behind when suddenly Zuko swooped down in front of them on his glider. From overhead, they could hear Zuko calling for them to come on. Once more, Katara told him not to concern himself with them and to take care of Appa. When he disappeared from view, she knew for certain she was on her own.

Thinking quickly and without warning, Katara grabbed hold of Sokka around his waist and took him over the edge of the banister. As they fell, her brother screaming the entire way, Katara bent out a shelf of ice with her free hand to the adjacent landing. Before Wan Shi Tong could close in, she bent out an ascending slide of ice, from the landing to the window above their heads, surfing both herself and her brother towards the exit. The owl spirit kept in frantic pace with him, opening his mouth wide as if he meant to swallow them up whole. They burst out into the frigid, desert night mere seconds before he would have overtaken them.

As they tumbled into the desert sand, breathless and thankful to be alive, Katara and Sokka were only vaguely aware of the fact that the library's towering spire was sinking below ground. Instead, their attention was focused solely on Toph, who sat alone in the midst of the moonlit dunes, her features shuttered with sorrow. A leaden ball of dread settled low in Katara's belly.

She slowly came to her feet. "What's wrong? What happened?" When Toph didn't answer, Katara glanced around, noticing for the first time that their supplies and personal belongings were scattered all across the sand. Her heart began a slow knock in her chest when she realized Zuko was nowhere in sight. "Where is he?" she asked Toph.

But it was an unnecessary question. Zuko wasn't the only one who had disappeared from their group.

So had Appa.


	32. Chapter Thirty One

**Chapter** **Thirty-One**

"Well," Katara prodded when Zuko landed among them an hour later, "did you find him?" It was a needless question, given that he'd returned _without_ Appa, and yet she asked it anyway. Part of her still held the tiniest hope that he would answer in the affirmative even in spite of knowing better.

Predictably, Zuko answered with a terse shake of his head. "I looked everywhere," he said thickly, "He's gone."

He had wanted to spend more time searching, but Zuko knew he didn't have the luxury of indulging in prolonged grief. Even as he reeled from how quickly his life had changed in the course of a few hours, he was well aware of the fact that he and his friends were in a life and death struggle. They were stranded in the desert with no supplies. No water. No food. Zuko was a mess, but he refused to let himself feel it. Though losing Appa was painful, he needed to focus on the more important things. He _made_ himself do it.

Still, his anguish must have been apparent on his face because Katara looked at him as if she thought he would burst into tears at any given moment. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut against her pity. "He didn't run away, if that's what you're thinking," he uttered thickly; "Appa wouldn't do that. Someone must have stolen him."

"But who would do that?" Katara wondered, half angry, half grieved. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"_How_ could they do it?" Sokka followed up, "Appa's a ten ton magical beast. He's no lightweight."

"It doesn't matter how it happened," Zuko dismissed, "Speculation does us no good at this point. He's gone either way and, right now, we need to concentrate on getting out of this desert or we're going to die here."

The apparent ease with which he shrugged off the circumstances alarmed Katara. She knew from experience that the less he reacted emotionally, the more intense his pain. "Zuko," she began tentatively, "It's not that I don't agree with you, but… Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Katara!" he snapped. "Appa was a _pet_. I knew he wasn't going to be around forever, okay! I'm not going to fall apart."

It was easier to take refuge in his anger than to let himself feel the magnitude of the grief expanding in his chest. Appa had been _more_ than a simple pet. He had been a fixture in Zuko's life since he was six years old. That day in the Air Temple when his peers had run with their apples in hand to choose their pick of the litter, Zuko had hung back, cautious and afraid. He had not chosen Appa that day. Appa had chosen _him_. He had seen past Zuko's hesitancy and anxiety, someone knowing what Zuko would only figure out much later. They belonged together.

Aside from Gyatso, Appa's loyalty to Zuko was unparalleled. The loss of his best friend and long time companion was devastating, not only because they had been close, but because Zuko had lost the last remaining link between himself and the time period he'd known. He had lost his past completely and, without Appa, his future seemed uncertain as well. In fact, it had never looked more bleak than it did right then.

The idea of continuing on without his beloved bison was unbearable. Part of him wanted to lie in the sand and wait for an inevitable death. Part of him wondered why he even bothered to make himself worthy to save a world that didn't seem worth saving at all. Why should he care when that world had stolen from him the most precious thing that he had? Part of him was simply too emotionally beaten to care anymore. He almost wanted to wash his hands of the entire business.

But Zuko was too conditioned to do his duty, to live up to the expectations that had been placed upon his shoulders even before he'd been born. And so he met his responsibilities head on. He performed with mechanical efficiency because, by maintaining that regimented order, he held some semblance of control. And Zuko desperately needed to preserve control. If he didn't, if he unleashed the riotous emotions bubbling violently inside him, he had no idea what and _who_ would be swept away in the tide of his rage? He couldn't let himself fall apart. Not under any circumstances.

"We'll set up camp as best we can tonight and start again at first light," he told the group. "As far as I could see when I flew out, we're surrounded by miles and miles of desert. There's nothing out there, so we need to start as early as possible so that we can cover as much ground as we can."

"We're going to get out of here," Katara determined, addressing the unspoken worry that circulated amongst them. "General Iroh is waiting for us in Ba Sing Se. Besides that, we'll have an opportunity to tell the Earth King what we've learned about the eclipse. We'll need his help for when Zuko faces the Firelord."

"Speaking of that," Zuko prefaced tersely with a sharpened glance towards Sokka, "What's in the book?" For a brief second, Sokka regarded him blankly, which only further tested Zuko's already strained patience. "You risked everyone's life to steal it, so it had better be worth it."

"Um…" Sokka hedged.

"Well?" Zuko prompted impatiently.

Sokka scowled at him, defenses rising. "It's dark out now and I don't have the supplies we need to start a fire," he replied tartly, "I'm waiting until first light. When I find something out, then you'll know."

"Good," Zuko bit out in response, "I'd hate to think that Appa was stolen for nothing!"

At that, Sokka's frown not only deepened, but he surged to his feet as well, spraying up a cascade of dust as he did. Toph coughed and sputtered behind him, catching a mouthful of sand in the wake of his angry whirl, but her muttered complaints went unacknowledged because Sokka's entire focus was on Zuko. "So what is _that_ supposed to mean? Are you blaming me for what happened?" he hissed accusingly.

"Maybe if you weren't so determined to have that stupid book, we would have had a few extra minutes to stop the people who stole Appa!" Zuko flung back.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to go to the library, not me!" Sokka scoffed in reminder. "It was _calling_ you, remember? It was _your_ decision to stay down as long as we did! Besides that, you wanted to find answers down there and I did, so why are you angry now?"

"You cared about that stupid book more than you cared about Appa's safety!"

"Okay, I'll admit that I wasn't as worried as I should have been," Sokka confessed tightly. "I've seen Appa in action and I took for granted that he could take care of himself. I honestly never believed that anything bad would happen to him."

"And you were wrong," Zuko grated.

"I was wrong about that, but _not_ about the book," Sokka maintained. "The information I find in this book might just save us all and you know that, Zuko! I get that you're upset about Appa. We're _all_ upset, but I'm not going to let you blame me for something that wasn't _my_ fault!"

"Are you saying it was mine?" Zuko challenged.

Listening as their angry exchange grew increasingly heated, Toph muttered to herself, "I guess I should have stayed in Gaoling. Even home beats this by a landslide."

"It wasn't anyone's fault!" Katara interjected fiercely, stepping between the boys before they could come to blows. "Stop it, you two! Sniping at each other isn't going to help matters. We need to work together."

Taking her cues from Katara, Toph made an attempt to diffuse the situation as well. "Maybe Zuko's right," she said, "Maybe we should just bed down for the night. We're all exhausted and cranky. We'll be able to think more clearly in the morning."

"You guys sleep," Zuko said, "I'm going to do another pass for Appa."

Katara caught hold of his forearm. "Zuko, you're tired too."

He yanked from her grasp with a positively feral expression. "I said I'm going to make another pass for Appa," he reiterated shortly. "Go to bed. I shouldn't be long."

Sokka stepped up to place a comforting arm around his sister's shoulders as she stared after Zuko's retreating glider. "You know how Zuko is when he's hurting," he whispered, "Give him some space and he'll get over it before long."

"I just wish he could understand that we're hurting too," Katara whispered back.

****

They awoke with wind-blistered cheeks in spite of having huddled together all night to combat the desert's frigid night temperatures and fierce, kicking winds. Above their heads, scavenger birds had already begun gathering and circling in the distance. Their squawking presence didn't bode well. Upon seeing them, Momo scurried into the warm safety of Sokka's shirt and cowered there.

Morale was extremely low. Zuko was focused, but remote. Toph, usually so flippantly confident and dare-devilish, was now struck by an unprecedented bout of insecurity. Without her "eyes" she felt useless and, therefore, unsure of herself. Even Sokka, who could always be counted on for his level head and ingenuity, had become taciturn and moody as a result of the disagreement he'd had with Zuko the previous night. It seemed to Katara that it was up to her to keep them together, not only in the physical sense, but emotionally as well.

At daybreak, they strapped on the few belongings they had and began walking. It wasn't long before the desert sun was punishing them with sweltering and unremitting heat, a situation that was nearly unbearable. It made the shivering cold they'd endured the previous night almost welcome.

The conditions were nothing short of horrible. They were exhausted, having slept very little, hungry and thirsty. Their only water was Katara's precious bending water, which was in short supply and not very tasty either. Still, they made do with what they had and kept going in spite of the odds, even when the signs seemed clear that they were _not_ going to survive.

In short intervals, Zuko had taken to flying ahead of them on his glider to give them an indication of what to expect up ahead. Usually, it was only more sand and sloping dunes, but his latest foray was taking longer than usual and Katara was beginning to worry. She paused mid-step to wipe the perspiration from her brow, frowning deeply.

"He's been gone a while now," she observed more to herself than anyone else, "I hope nothing's happened."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's taken off for good," Sokka speculated bluntly.

Katara glared at him. "That's awful! Don't say things like that! You know Zuko wouldn't just leave us!"

"He's done it before," Sokka argued mildly.

"Okay well, he wouldn't leave us without telling us first that he was leaving and _why_ he was doing it," Katara amended waspishly.

"So you have a small point there…" Sokka conceded in a grumble.

Toph collapsed into the sand, groaning in the arid heat. "My opinion probably doesn't count much because I'm new," she interjected, "but I kind of get the impression that Zuko's fed up with this whole thing. If he took off, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, I wouldn't blame him if he did."

"That's not what's happened," Katara argued stiffly, "You don't know Zuko."

"Yeah, well I do," Sokka flung out, "Something dark is building inside him, Katara, and it's been happening for a while. You know it and I know it. Appa was the final straw."

"He's in shock!" Katara argued, "He's hurting! How do you expect him to react?"

Sokka removed his soaked shirt and tied it about his head. "I'm not judging him, Katara," he soothed his sister in a mild tone, "I'm worried. It just dawned on me last night. We're expecting Zuko to do a huge thing and put the world back together when _he's_ literally falling apart. We're placing all our hopes on him to end this war and…maybe it's too much for him. Maybe he can't handle it."

"He's the Avatar," Katara scoffed, "Of course he can handle it. Zuko will do what needs to be done. He always has."

"I know he'll do it," Sokka acknowledged, "But he'll destroy himself in the process. I don't want that to happen."

Katara shook her head in denial. "He's a little confused right now, but he wants to find his way and he will, Sokka."

"He's flesh and blood, Katara," her brother reasoned flatly, "He hurts and bleeds just like the rest of us. Zuko already has enough pressure placed on him by the world. It won't help matters if we add to it by piling on unrealistic expectations."

Katara opened her mouth with the intention of demanding exactly what he meant by "unrealistic expectations" when Zuko swooped back down among them and immediately made her forget her irritation with her brother. One look at Zuko's face told her that something was up. "What's out there?" she asked.

"There's a caravan moving this way," he said.

"Friend or foe?" Toph queried.

"I couldn't tell," Zuko told her, "They were kicking up a cloud of dust as they traveled so I wasn't able to get a good look at them. I couldn't even count how many there were."

"Well, did you ask them for help?" Toph burst out, "Water? Something?"

"I didn't engage them at all," Zuko replied. "Whoever stole Appa had to be familiar with this desert and probably had the supplies to do it. Now we come across a caravan in the middle of the desert. It's all too coincidental."

"You think they're the ones that stole Appa?" Katara concluded.

"Possibly," Zuko said, "Or they know the people who did."

"So what do you want to do?" Sokka asked. "We can't exactly fight them if it comes to that. After a day and a half without water, I don't think we're up for the challenge." He nibbled his lower lip in a pensive moment. "You could get your glow on—,"

"—I'd rather not," Zuko interrupted before he'd finished. "I'm in a dark place right now and when I let myself access the avatar state, it takes me to a place even darker." He closed his eyes briefly. "I…I don't trust myself. There's no telling what I would do."

"That's probably for the best," Katara commended him.

"So do we hide then?" Toph wondered. "Think fast because I get the vague impression they're almost on top of us."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," Zuko decided just as the large band glided over the cascading sand dunes up ahead.

****

Rather than attacking them, the Sandbender Hami Tribe took them in and gave them food, water and shelter. They had set up their camp, a small community of tattered tents and makeshift bedrolls, surrounding a tiny oasis, the only patch of green in the desert for miles and miles. Their host had introduced himself as Sha-Mo. He was the chieftain of the clan and seemed genuinely honored to serve the esteemed Avatar.

That evening, Zuko and company sat down to a modest dinner with Sha-Mo and his oldest son, Gashuin before the fire pit situated in the center of the camp. The younger Sandbender, however, seemed anxious and resentful to be in the Avatar's presence and, before long, rudely excused himself from the meal.

"Was it something we said?" Sokka asked around a mouthful.

"Forgive my son," Sha-Mo said, "The war has taken its toll on him and he has become bitter."

"How so?" Toph asked.

"Before the Firelord began eating up all the territory, my people thrived on the trade between the Earth Kingdom provinces and the nations of the world," Sha-Mo explained, "It was how we made our livelihood. But, the longer the war raged on, the more impoverished our Tribe became, until we were left with little more than what you see here."

"So your son blames me?" Zuko concluded gruffly.

"He blames many people, including me," Sha-Mo said. "He is an angry, troubled young man and has only become more so since his mother's death."

"Fire Nation?" Katara concluded sympathetically.

"Childbed fever," Sha-Mo clarified, "In these conditions, such an illness is unforgiving and fatal. She and our child were lost to me only a few months ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Katara murmured.

"Forgive me for asking, but…why don't you just leave this sandy wasteland then?" Toph demanded frankly, "Seems to me that staying only fills your life with misery."

Sha-Mo laughed. "The desert is our home. I was born here and I will die here," he said, "I cannot imagine being any place else." He surveyed the circle of faces around him, noting the flickers of emotions that flashed across their faces following his statement. He wondered if any of them felt they had a place to belong as he did. The thought that they might not made him sad, especially when he contemplated their extreme youth. No one should have to lose their innocence and sense of security at such a tender age.

"I have told you enough about myself," he decided wryly, "Now it is your turn. How did you come to be stranded in the middle of our desert?" Earlier, they had recounted the tale to his son, but Sha-Mo had yet to hear the story for himself.

"Well, we were in this library and this giant owl spirit tried to kill us," Sokka began candidly.

"Wan Shi Tong," Sha-Mo concluded quickly. "I know of him and his library. My people are not permitted to go near that place. It is sacred and guarded and Wan Shi Tong can be merciless and brutal when crossed. He destroys all who dare to trespass."

"Yeah, we learned that lesson the hard way," Toph grunted.

"And that's why you're stranded?" Sha-Mo asked, "Because of Wan Shi Tong? We shall make a sacrifice for you, in hopes of appeasing him."

"That's not necessary. We're stranded because, while I was in the library, someone stole my flying bison," Zuko informed him flatly.

"I'm terribly sorry," Sha-Mo uttered sincerely. "The desert can be a harsh place and living here sometimes makes people desperate."

"Why should _you_ be sorry? Why make excuses at all?" Zuko grated with a glaring look across the fire, "Are you the one that stole him?"

"Zuko!" Katara admonished him sharply. "Stop it! Sha-Mo has shown us nothing but kindness!"

"No, it is alright," Sha-Mo murmured. "The Hami Tribe is but one of the Sandbender tribes that inhabit this desert. Any one of them could have stolen your bison. Such a creature would likely fetch a good deal of money."

"You're saying that they _sold_ Appa?" Zuko snarled incredulously.

"If your bison was truly taken by one of the clans, then yes, it's very likely," Sha-Mo confirmed. "There would be no need to keep him."

"Unbelievable," Zuko muttered, rolling to his feet with a rush of frustrated anger. "Where would they sell him? To who?"

"It could be a number of places or people…likely to whoever offered the highest bid." Zuko's features crumpled with grief at the revelation. He literally doubled over with the pain. "I can ask around for you," Sha-Mo assured quickly, hoping to calm his distraught guest. "I will inform the other tribes that the Avatar's bison has gone missing and if they have any information, then they should contact you."

"Don't bother," Zuko snorted bitterly, "I doubt anyone is going to come forward because then they'd have to admit that they stole him in the first place! It's hopeless." His eyes glistened in the darkness with unshed tears, tears that he stubbornly blinked back. "I'm never going to see Appa again. I just need to accept that and move on."

****

"I don't like having him here!"

The conversation was whispered and discreet, yet there was a distinct panic in the tone that caught Zuko's attention. He remained carefully positioned behind the large cactus where he'd hidden himself so that he could weep in private, the first time he'd allowed himself to give into tears since waking in Katara's arms. Zuko had been in the process of composing himself in preparation for returning to the Sandbender camp some 200 feet away when he caught the first bits and pieces of the whispered exchange. Instincts prickling, he crouched down low to listen further.

"You saw the way he talked to your father!" the voice railed on.

"So anyone who dares defy my father must inspire fear in you?" his companion scoffed. "They have no idea it was us! None of them do. You'll make everyone suspicious by acting as antsy as you are!"

"You heard him," the first man hissed anxiously, "He practically accused our Tribe right then and there! It's only a matter of time—,"

"Be quiet! We've done nothing wrong! How were we to know he belonged to anyone?"

"This is getting out of control. Maybe if we told your father, Gashuin—,"

"No!" the aforementioned snapped before the sentence was even completed, "It would only prove to him that I'm as worthless as he already believes. Besides, you've seen how the Avatar is and you've heard the rumors just as I have. He's…he's not stable. If he knew the truth, I don't doubt he'd kill us."

"I still think—,"

"Stop thinking, Ash-un!" Gashuin snapped. "I'll handle this. In a few days, the Avatar and his companions will be well enough to continue on their journey and this whole thing will be over. Just sit tight."

"_He_ might sit tight, but I won't!" Zuko growled, leaping from his hiding place in a whirl of livid fury. He spun his staff into a combative angle. "_Where is my bison_?"

Ash-un ran immediately, but Gashuin stood his ground and tried to foolishly cover his tracks with lies. "I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

"You stole my bison!" Zuko accused between clenched teeth, "I _heard_ you. Now where is he?"

"How dare you?" Gashuin bellowed, "Here my father and my tribe have shown you hospitality and you listen in on my private conversations and accuse me of theft! I wonder if my father knows your true nature!" He turned on his heel, as if he meant to seek out his father right then and there, but Zuko slashed him with a gale of wind that knocked him flat to the ground.

Zuko moved to crouch down besides prone Gashuin. "Tell me where he is!"

"I don't know," Gashuin maintained fearfully.

Enraged, Zuko smacked him aside with another burst of air. Gashuin careened into the nearby cactus, howling with pain when the prickles tore though his ragged clothing and embedded in his flesh. "I'm going to ask you one last time," Zuko intoned silkily, "Where is my bison?"

"I…I traded him to some merchants for two hundred gold pieces!" Gashuin confessed in a babbling rush. "They were on their way to Ba Sing Se. There's to be a banquet in honor of the Earth King and…and they wanted him for the meat. They said he would be an exotic dish."

"You sold Appa to butchers?" Zuko hissed incredulously.

"I'm sorry," Gashuin wept, "I didn't know he belonged to you until your friend mentioned why you were stranded! I didn't know…"

"You're not sorry," Zuko whispered fiercely, blinding grief obliterating all compassion and reason as he closed in on the fallen Sandbender with a menacing snarl, "Not yet." He pulled his hand into a tight fist, snatching back the Sandbender's panicked gasp before it could even make a sound. "…But you will be."

By the time Zuko's friends and Sha-Mo came racing into the desert clearing a few minutes later with a hysterical Ash-un accompanying them, it was already over. They found Zuko leaning weakly against the demolished cactus and a blue and lifeless Gashuin lying only a few inches from his feet. Under different circumstances, Katara might have fallen to her knees to see what aid she could offer, but it was rather obvious that there was nothing she could do for Gashuin. A horrified gasp rippled through the small group at the macabre sight.

"What happened to him?" Sokka breathed, "Zuko, what did you do? Why is he that weird color?"

Cringing inwardly to witness their unconcealed revulsion and dismay, the young Avatar regarded them with a dead expression, tears silently tracking his cheeks. "I had no choice," Zuko declared woodenly as Sha-Mo fell across his son's body with a grief-stricken cry, "He lied to me. He killed Appa. I had no choice."

"Oh, Zuko, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Katara asked, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. "Gashuin's friend told us what they did and…and who they sold Appa to. I'm so, so sorry!"

Zuko couldn't return her embrace. It simply wasn't in him. He was too numb. "I want to leave here," he told her. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to come to grips with the magnitude of the cold-blooded and merciless act he'd just committed and finding the endeavor impossible. He wanted to forget it. He wanted to distance himself from the harsh reality, as far and as fast as he could. "Can we please just leave?"

"I am sorry, Avatar," Sha-Mo uttered tearfully, torn between guilt over what his son had done and grief over his death, "I am truly sorry for what has happened here. We have all lost something precious this night and you…you have my sympathy. But you are right. You should leave. Take whatever you need. All that I have to give you is yours. Just, please," he concluded on a choked sob as he scooped his dead son into his arms, "please go."

Wanting to leave just as desperately as Sha-Mo needed him to do so, Zuko bobbed his head in a terse nod of agreement and walked away.

****

They traveled to Full Moon Bay. According to other refugees headed towards Ba Sing Se, it was the safest route to city. Their only alternative was to cross the Serpent's Pass, which was rumored to be treacherous and deadly. After the last few emotionally devastating days they'd endured, the group seriously doubted they were up to another strenuous journey. The decision to take the ferry across the lake into Ba Sing Se had been a relatively easy one.

The launching dock was a secret, underground cavern that could only be accessed by Earthbenders. The carved room within was crowded from wall to wall with refugees fleeing to Ba Sing Se. Their sheer numbers was a grim reminder to Zuko of just how many people had been displaced as a result of the Fire Nation's tyranny. That was entirely his fault. Zuko stared at their drawn, crestfallen faces and felt like even more of a failure.

Inundated with sorrow, he sat apart from his friends, too ashamed to even be in their presence. He could feel their worried stares, but they didn't dare come close to him. In fact, no one approached him at all, some because they didn't recognize him and others because they did and feared him. But, for whatever their reason, Zuko was grateful to be left alone. He was in no mood to make nice with anyone. Yet, it was because he gained some modicum of peace in his solitude, that Zuko knew it was destined not to last.

When the stranger sat down beside him, Zuko half turned away, hoping that the person would pick up on the not so subtle hint and pick a different spot to sit in. Unfortunately, he didn't. Unbelievably, he scooted closer. Zuko muttered a string of epithets under his breath.

"Hey, aren't you the Avatar?"

"There are a ton of them here," Zuko said, hitching his chin to the opposite side of the chamber where half a dozen Avatar impersonators were located. "Take your pick and go bother one of them."

"Yeah, but you're the only one who's authentic."

Still, not bothering to make eye contact and growing more and more aggravated as the moments passed, Zuko muttered moodily, "What's it to you?"

"Yep, it's definitely you, alright," the stranger drawled in a laughing tone that was ridiculously familiar, "I had to check, because you look so different with hair. I think I prefer you bald though. It worked so well with your crotchety, 'old man' demeanor." Zuko cut his gaze upward in stunned disbelief, his mouth falling open as it finally dawned on him _who_ was sitting beside him. The Fire Nation prince pushed back the dark hood concealing his face and regarded his friend with a wide, affable grin.

"Hey there, Zuko," Aang chirped merrily, as if he hadn't been missing and presumed dead for weeks, "Soo…did you miss me?"


	33. Chapter Thirty Two

**Chapter** **Thirty-Two**

"What are you doing here?"

Aang frowned in mild affront over Zuko's less than enthused reaction. "Wh-What kind of greeting is that?" he sputtered. "No 'oh great, you're alive!' Or, 'hey, where have you been?' That's it? That's the best you can do?"

"I knew you were alive," Zuko scoffed dismissively, "What I _don't_ know is how you got here."

"Uncle had me smuggled out of the Fire Nation. I'm meeting him in Ba Sing Se, the same as you, I suppose."

"He didn't mention that in his letters."

"Uncle can be a mysterious man when he wants to be. Now, I've got a question for you," Aang countered, "Where are Sokka and Katara? Why are you sitting here by yourself? And why are you waiting for a ferry into Ba Sing Se? Why not just fly over on Appa? Oh, and while we're on the subject of pets, where's my monkey?"

"I thought you said you had _a_ question, not an inquisition," Zuko retorted grumpily.

"Take your time," Aang offered in a cheery tone, not the least bit put off by Zuko's surly one, "I can wait."

"Sokka, Katara and Momo are fine," Zuko sighed finally, "They're around here somewhere."

The explanation only produced more questions. "Why aren't they with you?"

"It's a really long story. You've missed a lot."

Aang shrugged, undaunted by the warning. "Like I said before, I can wait."

Because he had expected such a response, Zuko didn't bother to argue. "First things first," he said, "I know Sokka and Katara are really anxious to see you again, so let's find them."

He found them near the very front of the crowd, situated closest to where the ferry boats launched from the harbor. They were huddled in a semi-circle, apparently in deep discussion. However, almost immediately upon Zuko's approach, Toph shushed them into silence. He didn't need to wonder what they'd been talking about. The topic of conversation was quite evident, especially when compounded by their guilt-riddled faces.

Zuko dismissed his irritation over that to deal with more pressing matters. "Guess who found me a moment ago?" he stated flatly.

"Hopefully, a sense of humor," Toph grumbled wryly.

Behind Zuko, Aang chortled with laughter. "Oh, that's a good one," he chuckled, "She definitely has your number, huh, Zuko?" That was how Sokka and Katara became aware of his presence.

Consequently, no one except Toph laughed with him. Zuko had found the joke wholly unfunny and Sokka and Katara were too busy gaping in shock. Like Zuko before them, they were stricken with dubious joy to find Aang standing there, joking as he always had, as if he hadn't been missing from their lives for countless weeks. The siblings blinked at him rapidly, as if they couldn't quite believe their eyes. Their jaws opened and closed rhythmically as they tried to summon words, but no sound escaped. Even Momo was too shocked to move or make a noise.

Aang wiggled his fingers at them in greeting, amused by their disconcerted reactions. "What's up, Water Tribe? Long time, no see."

Katara was the first to recover. Her mouth split in a wide, overjoyed grin and she squealed his name. In that moment, all the confusion and uncertainty she'd felt for weeks was obliterated in the pure sweeping delight of seeing him again. She threw her arms around his neck with enough force to topple him over, squeezing him hard. Her reaction was so enthusiastic that he might have gone down too, if Sokka had chosen to join the embrace and steady them all. The hugs were so welcome that Aang didn't even mind the painful pressure they put on his still very tender back.

Momo sprang into life as well, bouncing from Toph's shoulder onto Aang's head to do a happy, little dance. He anchored his tiny paws against Aang's temple so that he could nuzzle the crown of his master's head. As the siblings practically smooshed Aang between them and his pet lemur went crazy with chatter, Aang sighed his happy contentment and flashed Zuko a pointed look over Katara's shoulder.

"Now this is how you act when you miss somebody," he said. He sighed again, grinning from ear to ear. "It feels good to be loved."

"Maybe I just didn't miss you," Zuko challenged grouchily. "Did that ever cross your mind?"

"Don't listen to him," Katara whispered to Aang, "He did so miss you." She stared at him, her eyes darting across his gamin features and drinking in every minute detail of him. His face seemed a little thinner and his hair was definitely too long, but his eyes sparkled with merriment just as they always did. His happiness was an infectious thing. Aang smiled and, automatically, Katara felt compelled to smile as well. She vaguely acknowledged the fact that Aang had been right after all. When she looked at him, she didn't see his scar…all she saw was Aang.

"We all missed you," she whispered profoundly. Her admission caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere between them and, all too soon, their tentative smiles quickly gave way to blushing awkwardness. Belatedly, Katara realized that she still had her arms wrapped around Aang and vice versa. In self-conscious stages, they extricated themselves from each other with sheepish looks. "Um…so yeah…welcome back," Katara amended lamely.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck, his blush deepening. "Thanks, Katara. It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back," she replied with a shy smile.

The smile he returned was equally shy. "It's good that you find it good," he said.

"I'm glad that it's good."

"And I'm glad that you're glad."

Behind them, Sokka listened to the stilted exchange and rolled his eyes with a loud, dramatic groan of "oh brother." Katara and Aang didn't seem to hear him. They continued staring at one another with moony-eyed expressions while trying to cover the fact they were moony eyed at all.

"So, um…I'm guessing this is the Aang I've been hearing about this whole time," Toph interrupted meaningfully in a not so subtle attempt to force an introduction.

"Oh yeah," Zuko piped up in afterthought, "Aang, this is Toph. She travels with us now. She's my earthbending teacher. Toph, this is Aang. He's my firebending teacher."

Aang cut a sharpened glance towards Zuko, both flattered and surprised that the Airbender had introduced him as such. "Are you sure you still want that?" he asked carefully, "It's been a while. I'd understand if you had your heart set on my uncle after…well, you know, after everything."

"We had an agreement that it would be you," Zuko reminded him, "And I still want that…unless _you've_ changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind," Aang said.

"Then that's what we'll do," Zuko decided.

"So where have you been this entire time?" Sokka demanded once that was settled. "All General Iroh told us was that you were safe, but nothing about where you were and what had happened to you."

"I was just where you'd expect me to be," Aang replied lightly, "In a Fire Nation prison and that's where I stayed until Uncle made arrangements to bust me out of there."

"No way!" Toph guffawed in admiration, "You broke out of a Fire Nation prison? That's awesome!"

"Technically, I didn't really do _anything_," Aang hedged uncomfortably, "I only followed instructions. My uncle took care of the rest."

"Oh right. I forgot, you're the Firelord's son," Toph considered a moment later, revising the vision she had of him making a daring escape after weeks and weeks of brutal torture, "In retrospect, how bad could it have been for you? You probably got special treatment the whole time you were in there."

"Yeah, it was special alright," Aang replied evasively. However, not wanting to go into the details of his imprisonment or even _think_ about it, he quickly changed the subject. "So why are you guys waiting for the ferry at all?" he asked, frowning, "Where's Appa?" He looked towards Zuko for explanation, but it was Katara that inevitably gave it to him.

"We don't have Appa anymore," she said sadly, flashing a concerned look over at Zuko, who suddenly wasn't making eye contact with anyone anymore, "He was stolen from us a few days ago."

"Stolen?" Aang echoed in disbelief. Granted, it had been some time since he'd last seen Appa, but Aang remembered him as being rather large. He had a hard time imagining anyone stealing anything as massive as Appa. "How did it happen? Who stole him?"

"It doesn't matter," Zuko muttered, "He's gone and I'm never getting him back. I don't really want to talk about it. I'm just trying to find a way to go on without him." He hadn't even finished speaking before Aang impulsively yanked him forward and crushed him in a tight hug. By the time Zuko processed what was happening and started to push the Firebender off, Aang had already released him. He glared up at the older boy, flustered and bewildered. "What was that?" he demanded indignantly.

"You looked like you needed one," Aang replied simply. "Uncle says that hugs and kisses are the best medicine for the heart. I didn't think a kiss would go over too well with you, so I went with the other option."

"Well thanks so much for thinking of me," Zuko declared in a tone that was anything but grateful, "But, please don't do that again."

"I'll try to control myself," Aang vowed, lips twitching. "Okay, so you don't want comfort and you don't want to talk about what happened to Appa. What do you want?"

"You need to be filled in on what you've missed since you've been gone," Zuko told him.

"And what's that?" Aang asked.

"Well, the most recent thing is that we found this mysterious library buried beneath the desert that was guarded by a murderous owl spirit," Sokka began dramatically.

"Um…kay," Aang responded, blinking.

"Anyway," Sokka pressed on, "when we explored it we found this parchment and this book that referred to the darkest day in Fire Nation history and we found some past dates about it. But I'm still in the process of calculating future dates. You see, there's this eclipse and—,"

"Oh that? Yeah, I know about it," Aang replied before Sokka could elaborate further, "That's not a secret. We call it the Day of Black Sun."

"What? You already know about it?" Sokka gasped incredulously.

"_Everyone_ knows about it, Sokka," Aang informed him. "My people have come to dread that day so they make it their business to know when it's coming. Every few decades or so there's a total eclipse of the sun over Fire Nation territory. Throughout our nation's history, marauding bands have used the eclipse as an opportunity to infiltrate the land because Firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse.

"The last time an attack happened; there was an assassination attempt on my great grandfather Sozin," he continued, "The assassins almost succeeded too. They made it as far as the Palace City. Hundreds of people died in the siege that day, including my great grandmother. After that, Sozin had an intricate web of secret tunnels built beneath the Palace so that people would have a place to flee in the future." A chorus of unhappy groans went up when he concluded his account. "What?" Aang wondered blankly, "I thought you wanted to know."

"Since you're a walking fount of knowledge, I don't suppose you know when the next eclipse is going to be, do you?" Toph asked hopefully.

"In a few months," Aang supplied simply. "Why?"

"Because we were thinking that it would be a perfect opportunity to attack the Fire Nation because they'll be defenseless," Sokka replied. "At the very least, it will allow us to get into the territory without opposition."

"It's not going to work," Aang said, already dismissing the idea, "First of all, they'll be expecting an attack. They always do. People aren't exactly creative when it comes to this sort of thing. Second of all, the eclipse is only about eight minutes long. What are you expecting to accomplish in eight minutes?"

"We plan to be in the Palace City with a complete army," Zuko declared, "Bending or no bending, we want to end the war that day. We're not relying on the eclipse to give us the victory, just the opportunity to attain it."

"It sounds risky, you guys," Aang cautioned, "Especially because I doubt the Firelord will be caught by surprise. He'll be expecting an attack or, at the very least, anticipating one."

"Just because he might anticipate our plan doesn't mean he can stand against us," Zuko argued. "By then, I'll be a fully realized Avatar. By then, I'll be ready to face him."

Katara placed a reassuring hand on Aang's shoulder. "Aang, we can do this," she insisted softly, "You already have all the inside information we need and it's the perfect opportunity for us, especially with the comet on its way. Now all we need to do is gather an army and we can end this war once and for all."

"Gather an army?" Aang echoed dubiously. "You make it sound so simple. Where are you planning to get one of those?"

"From the Earth King," Toph replied, as if the task were the simplest thing in the world.

Aang was busily searching for a tactful way to tell them that their plan was the most cockamamie scheme he'd ever heard but, before he could formulate his thoughts into an appropriate response, he was nudged from behind by a ferry attendant. "You people need to move it along," she said, "You're blocking the other passengers."

"What other passengers?" Sokka snorted, glancing around to find very few people milling about them, "They're not even loading the boats yet!"

"You telling me how to do my job?" the girl challenged.

Sokka gulped, trying to not be distracted by the girl's prettiness, and replied in a soothing tone, "Of course not. I'm merely suggesting you might be taking your responsibilities a bit too seriously, that's all."

"Oh, you're a smart guy, are you?" the attendant fired back, suddenly stepping to Sokka so that they stood nose to nose. "I know your type very well. A charming, sarcastic, smart-aleck who thinks he's hilarious. Am I wrong?"

An uneasy expression flittered across Sokka's face. He was taken aback by the girl's rather aggressive approach as well as her uncommon prettiness. Furthermore, he had the distinct and strange impression that he'd seen her before, but couldn't quite place her face. No matter how much he squinted, he couldn't place her. But then he also couldn't shake the certainty that they had met before.

"Um…do I know you from somewhere?" he asked carefully.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" she demanded huffily.

"Should…I?"

"Maybe you need a hint," the girl replied, leaning forward to press a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth. She rocked back on her heels to survey his stunned expression with a wide smile. "Recognize me now?"

It took him a split second to figure it out and, once he had, Sokka beamed. "Suki!"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. "Sokka, it's so good to see you again!"

As the group converged in yet another reunion, Toph muttered from the sidelines, "What is this? 'Get reacquainted with your past' day?"

****

Sokka leaned against the ferry's rails and observed in silence as Katara discreetly wedged herself between Toph and Aang on the wooden seat bench across from him. While Momo napped in Aang's lap, the two traded soft smiles and a few whispered words before Katara reached down and took a hold of Aang's hand. He didn't seem at all surprised by her intimate gesture either, but closed his fingers around hers gratefully.

"I guess you should have seen that coming, huh?" Suki remarked as she came to stand alongside him. "I just finished loading all the passengers onboard, so now you and I can talk a little." She hitched her chin towards Aang and Katara. "So when did they get together?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I don't know if they _are_ together," Sokka replied, "I think Katara's overwhelmed because Aang has been missing so long."

"Spoken like an older brother in denial," Suki teased him laughingly. She nudged his shoulder. "Sokka, I know how a girl looks at a boy when she likes him and that's how your sister is looking at Aang right now."

"I…I don't want to talk about it," Sokka stammered a bit hysterically, clearly unsettled by the idea of his sister and friend getting together.

However, when he looked up at Suki he found her staring at him in the same luminous manner that Katara was staring at Aang. Part of him thrilled internally over her expression even while another part of him was made intensely uncomfortable. Above the bay, the moon winked and sparkled on the water. It was difficult not to think of Yue right then, which only made him feel guiltier for being attracted to Suki at all.

Ignoring her expression and hoping to steer their conversation into more neutral waters, Sokka remarked, "You look very different without your makeup."

"Is that good or bad?" she joked shakily.

"Just different," came Sokka's careful reply, which he promptly ruined by adding, "I didn't know how pretty you were." Suki blushed and Sokka immediately wanted to kick himself for being so thoughtless. He didn't know what it was about Suki that made him always speak without thinking first. Frustrated with himself, Sokka quickly changed the subject. "So…why'd you decide to leave Kyoshi?"

"After you guys left, Oyagi realized that he wouldn't be able to keep separate from the war no matter how hard he tried," Suki recounted. "He talked to me and the other warriors and we decided to lend our services wherever we could. We started by escorting some refugees and we've been doing it ever since."

"Wow…that's amazing." He smiled at her, still a bit shocked that he was looking at her at all. "I can't believe we ran into each other again," he marveled, "I was sure that the last time I saw you _was_ the last time."

"Are you disappointed?" Suki laughed self-consciously.

"Far from it," Sokka whispered.

His candid admission emboldened Suki to make one of her own. "Sokka, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you left Kyoshi," she confessed in a rush of breath, "Have you thought about me?" Almost the moment she voiced the question, a look of uneasiness passed over his countenance. Suki quickly back-pedaled, feeling foolish and embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry," she mumbled self-deprecatingly, "That sounded really needy and pathetic just now, didn't it?"

"It didn't sound needy or pathetic," Sokka reassured her softly.

"I'm not saying you had to miss me just because I missed you," she rambled on, "I only wanted you to know how _I_ felt and—,"

"I _did_ miss you, Suki."

The rest of her explanation flittered from her mind like leaves scattered in the wind. Suki fixed him with round, surprised eyes. "You did?" she asked with a wide smile.

"You're a hard girl to forget." His words left her blushing in the moonlight once again. The sight of her pink cheeks instantly made Sokka wish he'd never said anything at all because she looked so incredibly lovely right then. When she started to inch closer to him, however, Sokka knew he couldn't put off the inevitable any longer.

"Suki, a lot has happened since you and I last saw each other," he began tentatively.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Suki agreed, "First Aang went missing and then you only just found him again today and then there was the Northern Siege and finding a teacher for Zuko and…and Appa being stolen." She flicked Zuko, who sat isolated from the group, curled up in a lonely corner of the ferry, with a pitying glance. "I feel so bad for him."

"Me too," Sokka murmured in agreement, "He's been through a lot." His blue eyes clouded with sadness as he added in an even softer tone, "We all have."

The somber thread in his words alerted Suki to the fact that he wasn't merely speaking in general terms, but making a rather meaningful statement about himself as well. She placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "What happened to you, Sokka?"

"When we were in the North Pole, I met someone," he began haltingly. But before Suki could absorb the crushing pain that revelation caused her, Sokka added, "but she died in the siege."

Suki's emotions veered crazily once more. She wasn't quite sure if she should be relieved by the news or saddened. However, as she stared into Sokka's dejected blue eyes, Suki was absolutely sure she felt the latter. She didn't like seeing Sokka in pain and, if the expression on his face was any indication, he had cared for this girl very much. Even while she hated the idea of him with another girl, she hated to see him in anguish even more.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she whispered, "I know how difficult it is to lose someone you care about…especially someone that you l-love," she choked out. "I felt the same way after my parents died and Oyagi adopted me. It felt like my whole life had ended. Nothing was ever the same after that."

"Yes," Sokka agreed, "It _is_ hard losing someone you love." He regarded her with glistening eyes. "That's why I'd rather not go through it again, if I can control it. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, Suki?"

She did understand and, because she did, she was hurt and disappointed. "You're saying that it's bad timing," she surmised glumly, "…again."

"It's not that I don't feel the way you do," Sokka rushed to explain.

"You just wish you didn't," Suki concluded sadly. He didn't say anything to confirm her theory, but then he didn't deny it either. Suki hunched her shoulders forward in defeat, but made a concerted effort to shake off her wounded feelings. "Oh well, it probably wouldn't have worked out anyway," she decided with forced brightness, "You're on your way to Ba Sing Se and I'll probably be leaving this post in a few days anyway."

"You're not going to stay in the city?" Sokka asked with unconcealed disappointment.

"I'm needed elsewhere." She squared her shoulders and said with a conviction she didn't necessarily feel, "Maybe it's for the best, Sokka. Maybe this is the Universe's way of telling us that we'd be better off as friends."

Despite getting exactly what he wanted, Sokka felt disheartened nonetheless. "Yeah," he agreed unhappily though he didn't want to believe it at all, "maybe it is."

*****

"I'm not taking him."

The merchant gaped at his Palace contact incredulously. "What do you mean you're not taking him?" he flared, "You said you wanted exotic meat! It doesn't get any more exotic than a sky bison!"

"I said _exotic_," his contact stressed, "Not _endangered_! Do you have any idea how rare that bison is?" He pointed his finger towards the merchant's large traveling cage where Appa was chained and muzzled. "That beast is the last of its kind!"

"Then it will be even more of a delicacy when served at the Earth King's banquet," the merchant reasoned cajolingly. However, the meat man stood his ground, shaking his head at the merchant's attempt at persuasion. "You said you'd pay gold!" the merchant flared accusingly, "I delivered just as agreed and I want my money!"

"We never agreed that you would steal the Avatar's bison!" his contact argued.

The merchant went cold all over. "The Avatar?"

"That's _his_ bison, you fool," the meat man confirmed, "I'm sure of it. If he finds out that you have it, I'm certain he'll kill you. I want no part of it!"

"No. That can't be! I…I purchased this bison from two Sandbenders," the merchant sputtered, "They never said a word about it belonging to the Avatar!"

The meat man shrugged indifferently and crossed his arms. "Did you expect them to? Either way, I'm not paying you."

"But I paid two hundred gold pieces for this beast because I expected you would compensate me as you promised," the merchant cried as his contact turned to walk away. "How am I supposed to get my money back? What need do I have for a sky bison?"

"It's not my problem," came his contact's parting shot, "You're on your own."

Once the meat man had mounted his cart and rumbled out of sight, the merchant whirled towards Appa with a frustrated huff. He briefly entertained the idea of returning it to the Avatar, but he knew his contact was right. He'd heard the stories. Likely a loss of money wasn't the only thing he'd suffer if he tried to return the Avatar's lost pet. He gulped audibly at the thought of losing his life as well.

Still, he couldn't keep the animal. The beast literally ate his weight in food every day. The merchant didn't have the money or time to provide care for such a massive creature. Keeping him would only prove to be a liability and a hindrance. He certainly couldn't slaughter the beast himself either because, if there was even a small chance that the Avatar learned he'd been involved with his bison's disappearance, the merchant knew his life would be over.

He glared at Appa. "What am I supposed to do with you now?" he grumbled.

"Perhaps, I can help you."

The merchant whirled towards the sound of the gravelly voice, surprised and intimidated to find a well-built, stern-faced man with long, dark hair approaching him. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

Rather than answering him directly, Xin Fu extended a bag full of money to the merchant. "Will four hundred gold and silver pieces cover it?"

"You want to _buy_ the bison?"

"I do."

The merchant eagerly pawed through the bag to confirm the amount of money for himself. Only when he was satisfied that Xin Fu wasn't attempting to cheat him did he make eye contact with the Earthbender again. "He's all yours, if you want him," the merchant declared without compunction, deliberately failing to mention _who_ the bison belonged to. "Mind if I ask why you're interested in owning a flying bison though?"

Xin Fu stroked a hand through Appa's thick fur, unperturbed by the animal's low growl of indignation. In fact, he smiled. "He's going to help me get what I want…" he answered the merchant cryptically, "…and so much more."


	34. Chapter Thirty Three

**Chapter** **Thirty**-**Three**

"Uncle's teashop should be right around this block," Aang determined after consulting the instructions Iroh had written to him one last time.

"What's the name of his place?" Katara asked.

"The Jasmine Dragon," Aang answered. "It took him a while to decide on it."

"Really? I can't imagine why. I think it's such a pretty name," Katara complimented.

"I'm glad you think so," Aang laughed in chagrin, "He almost named it The Tea Weevil." That tidbit of information and Aang's exaggerated shudder provoked a much needed giggle among the group.

They had finally arrived within the gates of Ba Sing Se earlier that morning after spending an exhausting and sleepless night on the overcrowded ferry. After weeks of travel and hardship, the young people were understandably fatigued but excited and relieved to have finally reached their destination. Somehow the accomplishment made the turmoil they were struggling with individually and collectively easier to bear.

"So why'd your uncle decide to open a teashop anyway?" Toph asked Aang with a befuddled frown, "Is this some kind of cover…sort of like a 'hiding in plain sight' kind of thing?"

"You make him sound like a super-secret spy," Aang laughed.

"No, _you_ make him sound that way," Toph countered, "The guy has contacts all over the world _and_, despite being banished from the Fire Nation, still had enough clout to get you out of prison and bring you safely to Ba Sing Se. From everything you guys have told me, he has to be bad-a—,"

"I get your point," Aang interrupted with a boisterous laugh. "My uncle's awesome, but I doubt the tea shop is some kind of cover. My uncle adores tea. He's grown over fifty different varieties of the tea leaf and even created a few of his own."

"Are you serious?" Toph uttered incredulously, "What's so special about tea?"

"Oh, great," Sokka groaned good-naturedly, "Now you've done it. He'll bore us for the next two days with long, drawn-out speeches on the miraculous wonders of tea."

"Don't knock it. Tea has medicinal properties, you know," Aang interjected knowledgably.

"And here we go," Katara sighed with a good-natured smile.

"The thing you guys don't seem to understand is that tea is more than a mere beverage. It's a remarkable creation that has many practical uses. Why, when I was younger…" Aang insisted, unaware that ahead of him Sokka and Zuko were openly mocking his rambling monologue, complete with hand puppets, "…so, you see, the secret to excellent tea is in the aging process of the leaves, Toph. There's a particular art to it. Tea should never taste like hot leaf juice."

A few steps ahead of him, Zuko rolled his eyes over the conversation. "But Aang," he deadpanned, "That's what _all_ tea is."

Aang stopped short with a mock gasp of horror, shaking his head in disappointment as he regarded Zuko's back. "Where did I go wrong with you, Zuko?" he lamented dramatically.

Toph was surprised when everyone responded with groaning chuckles over his antics. Even Zuko seemed less grumpy around him. He was still moody and withdrawn, but he, at least, made an attempt to keep up conversation. In fact, Zuko had spoken more with Aang in two hours than he had in two entire days! Toph almost tripped over her own feet in shock upon the realization.

It was the first time, since she'd joined the group, that Toph could recall anything even resembling a lighthearted atmosphere permeating the small band of young people. They were usually all business, all the time and jokes and laughter were kept at a minimum, usually because they were being pitched from one crisis to another. Suddenly, however, there was both and a degree of relaxation that hadn't been present before.

In a single day, Aang had shaken up the dynamic within the group _that_ much. He seemed to maintain a natural happiness about him that inevitably infected everyone he came into contact with. Toph barely knew him and even she found herself grinning. Of course, she'd had high expectations given the degree of respect and fondness with which he'd been spoken of by Sokka and Katara and, even Zuko to an extent. Still, the reality of Aang the Fire Nation prince and what Toph had imagined him to be had turned out to be two very different things. Toph wasn't so much disappointed as she was surprised and a little disconcerted.

Once they had resumed walking along the cobblestoned streets, she plucked hold of Sokka's sleeve and brought him close so that they fell a little behind the rest of the group. "So what's the deal with Aang?" she asked him in a blunt, conspiratorial whisper.

"Not what you expected, huh?" Sokka surmised knowingly.

"Hardly." Sokka swallowed a laugh over her candid response while she continued, "I don't get him at all. He just escaped a Fire Nation prison," Toph said in an observant under-breath, "Shouldn't he be a bit less…um…um…?"

"Cheerful? Happy?" Sokka provided helpfully. "Ridiculously perky?"

"Yeah, I think that covers it," Toph agreed. "He's too bubbly. It's weird. I never quite imagined that the Firelord's son would be bubbly. I was expecting him to be more like…well, more like Zuko or his nutjob of a sister." She shuddered with the consideration. While Sokka choked with laughter over her grimacing observation, Toph went on, "And I know I said he couldn't have had it _that_ hard being the Firelord's son, but still…it was _prison_. But, the way he acts, you wouldn't know he'd been there at all."

"That's just how Aang is," Sokka explained when his mirth had subsided. "It's a little jarring and annoying at first, but eventually you'll get used to it. He doesn't dwell on the bad stuff. Don't get me wrong, he has his mood swings, but he usually gets over it pretty quickly. What you see is what you get."

"Oh," Toph considered thoughtfully before announcing without preamble, "Well, you're right. It is a little annoying." A new prospect suddenly occurred to her. "Are you sure he's not crazy?" Toph wondered aloud, "After meeting his sister, I can believe that mental illness runs in that family."

Sokka cracked another laugh. "Oh Toph," he chuckled, "I _really_ like you! Never change. But, to answer your question, no, Aang is not crazy. He's … he's different, but in a good way. Toph, my friend," he continued, looping his arm about her neck, "you don't need to worry. I promise you, if nothing else, that you will have fun with Aang. Trust me."

"Fun, huh?" Toph echoed, mulling over the promising possibilities of that statement before grinning widely. "Sweetness."

****

When Aang lifted his fist to knock on the apartment door above his uncle's teashop he discovered his hand was shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, he froze, unable to execute the action. He nibbled his lip and yanked down his hand, rubbing it nervously against his thigh.

"What's the problem?" Zuko demanded with his usual impatience. "We've come all this way! Aren't you going to knock or should we just make camp right here in the corridor?"

Ignoring Zuko's surliness, Aang whirled to face the curious faces of his friends, his cheerful features darkened with uncertainty and doubt. "I haven't seen my uncle in a long time, you guys," he explained in a sudden expulsion of breath. "I'm a little nervous about it. It feels like I've changed so much since I last saw him. What if he's changed too?"

"You haven't changed _that_ much, Aang," Katara reassured him with a soft smile, "I know it will be the same for your uncle. You've been waiting a long time for this, but, you need to remember that he has too. He never gave up on you, so he's not going to be anything less than thrilled to see you again."

"Katara's right," Sokka piped in, "Even when we all thought you were dead, General Iroh never did. He completely refused to believe it and I'm glad he did. He's never been anywhere but in your corner, Aang."

"Hey, I don't have much to contribute seeing as how we only just met," Toph added wryly, "But the guy broke you out of prison and smuggled you across the border so you could be together. I think it's safe to assume that he missed you."

"Yeah, he loves you," Zuko tacked on rather obnoxiously, "So would you just knock on the door already?"

"Thanks, you guys," Aang replied with a deep sigh, turning to rap on the heavy wooden door sharply. "I feel better."

A moment later, the door yawned wide and Aang found himself face to face with his uncle for the first time since before he left to join the Avatar. To Aang, it looked as if his uncle had aged ten years. He wondered guiltily if he was the reason. However, from Iroh's vantage, the view wasn't much better. Aang looked as if he'd been to the spirit world and back again. Iroh took one look at him and said, "You look terrible and you're much too skinny."

Aang snorted a laugh, surprised and dismayed when his vision blurred and he realized that tears were filling his eyes. They were filling Iroh's eyes as well. "I'm here to stay," he told his uncle gruffly, "so, if you want to change any of that, you'll have plenty of time to do it."

"Oh, my nephew!" Iroh breathed, unable to resist the impulse any longer to yank Aang into his arms and hug him hard. Young man and old man gave way to tears, gripping each other in a loving embrace like they never planned to let go. "I have missed you so much," Iroh whispered thickly, "Welcome home."

"And I've missed you," Aang whispered back, "You can't know how incredibly hard it's been without you, Uncle."

The scene was so profound and emotional that Sokka and Zuko had to look away, ill at ease and fearful that they would dissolve into tears as well. Katara, however, _did_ cry. Her tears rolled openly down her cheeks in a display of emotion she didn't even think to hide. And Toph…though she couldn't see anything, found that her other senses were incredibly keen. The emotion in Aang and his uncle's voices was raw and powerful. She felt extremely awkward, overcome with the uncomfortable feeling that she was intruding on something private.

When they finally parted, both Iroh and Aang made swift efforts to compose themselves. Once they had, Iroh regarded the group of young people who had accompanied his nephew with a warm smile. He inclined an affectionate nod first to Zuko. "Avatar," he greeted.

"General Iroh," Zuko greeted in return.

"Sokka and Katara," he continued with a smile, surprised when Katara stepped forward and gave him a brief hug. He smiled his approval at her and she smiled back.

"It's good to see you again, General Iroh," she said.

However, when his eyes settled on Toph, he registered pure delight. "And this must be Toph, the Avatar's new earthbending instructor."

"That's me," Toph confirmed drolly.

"I've heard impressive things about you from the Avatar in his letters. I am General Iroh," he told her in formal introduction, "and it is a pleasure and an honor to welcome you all into my home as guests."

"Thank goodness," Zuko sighed expansively, "I was beginning to think you'd _never_ invite us inside."

They were surprised to discover that, not only had General Iroh prepared a steaming pot of tea in anticipation of their arrival, but he'd also put together a late breakfast for them as well. Aang surveyed the spread with a low whistle of appreciation. "You were pretty sure I was coming home today, huh?"

"I have my ways of acquiring information," Iroh replied cryptically. "Please, sit. Eat."

The young people needed no further invitation than that to fall on the food. Zuko, however, mainly shifted his meal around in his bowl, already brooding over the task ahead of him. Meanwhile, Aang didn't eat either. He was too preoccupied with catching up on missed time with his uncle. Iroh scolded him for his lack of attention, saying if he didn't eat, he'd soon "disappear." Dutifully, Aang shoveled in several mouthfuls before speaking again.

"So why did you decide to come to Ba Sing Se?" he wondered after swallowing, "What happened to the crew?"

"The crew was commandeered a long time ago when Zhao attacked the North Pole," Iroh sighed. "We were on our way back to the Earth Kingdom when Zhao's forces intercepted us. Lieutenant Jee risked his life and freedom to smuggle me off the boat before I could be captured. Afterwards, I sought refuge in the safety of the Earth Kingdom and began making inquiries about you from my contacts in the Fire Nation. It wasn't long before I discovered you were alive and in prison."

"Thank you, Uncle," Aang murmured, "I don't know how much longer I would have lasted in that hole."

Iroh reached over to give his shoulder an affectionate pat. "You don't have to thank me, Aang. You know you are like a son to me. I feel like it's my responsibility to protect you."

"So you've been hiding out in Ba Sing Se this whole time?" Sokka asked.

"I made some stops along the way," Iroh replied. "Plans needed to be made, after all. The war is finally coming to a close. I sense a change in the air." He regarded Zuko with serious eyes. "Your destiny is upon you, young Avatar."

"Tell me about it," Zuko mumbled.

"A change, Uncle?" Aang echoed, frowning. "What kind of change?"

"The time to defeat my brother is drawing near," Iroh said, "I've seen it in my dreams."

"Well, we're going to make your dreams a reality," Sokka enthused. "We actually have a plan in place for that exact thing, but we're going to need your help and the Earth King's."

Iroh's interest was instantly piqued. "What sort of plan?"

"Sokka, wait…" Aang mumbled in a quelling tone, slicing across his neck in a furtive attempt to shut his friend up, "…Didn't we decide already that it was a bad idea?"

"Maybe your uncle will think otherwise," Zuko argued, "It can't hurt to run it past him."

"What's this idea?" Iroh pressed eagerly.

"As I'm sure you already know," Sokka began, "there's going to be a solar eclipse in the Fire Nation in a couple months. We want to use that opportunity to cross the Fire Nation border undetected with an army and take the Firelord down. The idea is to actually be in position _before_ the eclipse happens and then make our attack when the Firebenders are defenseless."

"Tell them the plan is crazy, Uncle!" Aang burst out. "We're talking about a tiny window of eight minutes! Eight minutes to run the blockade and make it all the way to the Palace City, _with an army_, to take out the Firelord. It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible, my nephew. Anything can be accomplished with a little planning and a lot of determination," Iroh disputed with a pensive frown. "I'm eager to hear what your friends have in mind. A plan like this must be methodical and sound. That was the reason other groups have failed in their attempts. I would be glad to help in any way that I can." His agreement and apparent enthusiasm only served to agitate Aang more, rather than alleviate his misgivings. Iroh frowned at the realization. "What's the matter, Aang?" he asked worriedly, "You would usually jump at this kind of opportunity."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Aang maintained, "If we fail, we'll be right there in the middle of the Fire Nation. We'll be sitting turtleducks! The Firelord won't show us _any_ mercy. It'll be over."

"Then we won't fail," Zuko decided simply. "The odds are in our favor, Aang!" He surveyed Aang curiously when the older boy didn't immediately jump all over the plan. "I figured you'd be the last person I'd have to convince," he muttered, "What's your problem?"

Aang didn't see the point in arguing further or attempting to explain his reasoning. Likely nothing he said would make sense to them anyway and he couldn't make his argument without revealing what happened to him in prison, which was something he didn't want to do. And even if were willing to explain it to them, they'd likely write off his reluctance as fear and he'd be unable to fault them for it. Part of him _was_ scared out of his mind. Though he had good reason to be, he knew his concerns would be systematically dismissed by his friends in spite of that. Aang was clearly outnumbered and he knew it.

"It's your decision, Zuko," Aang sighed finally, clearly struggling with the reality, "Whatever you want to do, I'll go along with it." He abruptly pushed to his feet, provoking several startled looks of confusion from his family and friends. "I'm just going to step out onto the balcony for a little while," he said in explanation. "I need some air."

He hadn't been outside a full minute before Katara slipped through the door to join him. "Want some company?" she offered, coming to stand alongside him by the rails.

"Would it matter if I said no?" he asked wryly.

Katara mulled that over for a moment. "Probably not."

"That's what I thought you'd say," he sighed sullenly, staring down into the bustling streets below.

She nudged him with her shoulder, gently reclaiming his attention. "Don't pout. It's not you." He offered her a smile, but it was weak at best, which wrung a wry laugh from Katara. "You shouldn't worry, Aang," she told him, "It's a good plan. Once we get the Earth King's support, I think everything else will fall into place. You should be happy. This is almost over."

"And what if you don't get the Earth King's support?" Aang wondered glumly. "What if it isn't as easy as you think?"

"Since when are you so pessimistic? We'll get the Earth King's support," Katara insisted. "We have to." Yet, despite her firm conviction, Aang did not look convinced, which worried Katara. Under different circumstances, _he_ might have been the one to come up with such a plan. She couldn't quite understand why he was being so hesitant now. It wasn't like Aang at all. "Why does it bother you so much?" she asked him, repeating Zuko's earlier question but in a much gentler tone.

"Because there's no margin for error, that's why!" he replied fiercely, "We're placing all our hopes and expectations on this _one_ day and if it goes wrong…" Just as quickly as his frustration flared, however, it died with a defeated sigh. He hung his head forward. "Katara, I thought I knew what my father was capable of before I left home. But I didn't know the half of it. I didn't know anything. He's…he's not human. I don't want you guys to be hurt."

His words caused a shudder of apprehension to quiver down her spine. "What happened to you in that prison, Aang?" Katara whispered fearfully.

"Nothing I want to talk about," he mumbled, "and certainly nothing I want to see happen to my friends!"

"If you're worried about us, don't be. We can take care of ourselves," Katara reassured him. "Don't underestimate us. We've made it this far and we'll make it further." She reached out to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing over the puckered skin of his scar. "I'm telling you this," she whispered, smiling and hoping to coax a smile out of him as well, "so you have to believe it. Those are the rules, remember? If I say it, then it's true." She accomplished her goal of making him smile…and much more.

The moment Aang covered her hand with his own, the entire nature of the caress changed. Something that had been intended as benignly comforting, a gesture of affection between friends, suddenly became something provocatively intimate. Katara shivered as his fingers brushed over hers, a hot blush flooding her cheeks as their eyes locked together in an unspoken exchange. She felt a vague sense of panic wrapped in undeniable excitement and that was _before_ he turned his face into her hand slightly and closed his eyes, briefly nuzzling her palm and whispering her name at the same time.

When Aang lifted his eyes to her again, Katara swallowed hard. But whatever he planned to say was forgotten when Zuko chose that inopportune moment to charge out onto the balcony. Upon his sudden intrusion, Aang and Katara snapped apart, retreating to opposite sides of the balcony with guilt-ridden expressions. Zuko, however, registered absolutely no shock over discovering them locked in such a private exchange. In fact, he impatiently dismissed it.

"Okay, if we're really going to do this invasion thing, I'm going to need to learn some firebending," he told Aang, "So, let's get started."

****

"This is it?" Zuko complained dolefully. "This is what you're going to teach me? Breathing?" He snorted his impatience. "I already know how to inhale and exhale, Aang!"

"The key to firebending begins with proper breathing exercises," Aang explained patiently. "We're going to have to start with the basics and work our way up. Fire is a very dangerous element. Learning to control it must first begin with learning to control _yourself_. You won't be able to bend fire properly unless you do and, if you try, well…let's just say it won't turn out well."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," Katara chuckled from the sidelines.

"We had to renovate the palace when I was four and a half years old," Aang said, "and it wasn't because my parents wanted to a different look. I almost burned half the place down." He recalled the memory with a shudder. "Not one of my finer moments."

They had taken their training session to Iroh's private, but very small dojo. Presently, Iroh served tea for the early lunch rush in his teashop downstairs while Toph and Sokka entertained themselves under the guise of "helping him." Upstairs in the apartment, Aang and Zuko began the first steps in Zuko's firebending training with Katara sitting on the sidelines, offering occasional commentary and watching them train in absorbed fascination.

"I get that we need to start with the basics," Zuko sighed tersely, "But I'm an Airbender, for crying out loud! I already know how to breathe. I want to learn how to shoot lightning from my fingertips!"

"I told you that it's not so much about breathing as it is gaining control over yourself," Aang reiterated.

"Are you saying I don't have control over myself?" Zuko flashed back hotly.

"Yeah, wherever would he get that idea?" Katara deadpanned.

Though her admonishment was mild and teasing, it did much to settle Zuko's flared temper. Always in the back of his mind was the memory of the last time he'd lost control and the horrific consequences that had resulted from it. Zuko never wanted _anything_ like that to happen again. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but be anxious over his training. The sooner he learned firebending, the closer he would come to finally fulfilling his destiny and then maybe his life would resume some kind of quasi-normalcy.

"I just want to get this right," he told Aang. "There's not much time until the eclipse happens and I still have lots more to learn with water and earth. I don't want to waste time."

"We're not wasting time. First you'll learn breathing, then fire and then _maybe_ lightning. You're so much of a hothead, I'm not sure I want to teach you."

Zuko muttered several terse responses under his breath, not liking the edge of chastisement he heard in Aang's tone. "Will you please stop treating me like a kid?"

"You either want to learn firebending the right way or not at all," Aang replied, crossing his arms stubbornly. "It's your choice."

Yet another round of muttering escaped Zuko. "This is such a waste of time."

"If you're thinking you would have fared better with my uncle, think again," Aang said, correctly discerning Zuko's brooding thoughts, "Where do you think I learned my teaching techniques from?"

"Fabulous," Zuko grunted.

"That's the spirit," Aang commended lightly, pointedly ignoring Zuko's answering glare, "You'll go much further in this with a positive attitude, my friend."

"Sometimes, I really don't like you."

Aang only laughed. "Hey, don't be mad at me. You're the one who insisted on having your first lesson _right now_," he reminded Zuko, "I can't help it if the reality doesn't live up to your expectations."

Zuko surveyed him with a narrowed glare. "You're getting a real kick out of this, aren't you?"

Aang flashed a toothy grin. "Maybe a tiny bit," he confessed.

"Yeah well, let's see if you're still smiling when I tell Sokka you kissed his sister!" Zuko flung back. Aang threw Katara an accusing look before they both reddened and sputtered over Zuko's blatant threat. However, their indignant reactions did little to cow the headstrong, young Avatar. In fact, he was quite satisfied with the results. He regarded them with a breezy look. "So I'm thinking we can move on past breathing now, huh?" he concluded smugly.

Aang gaped at him, torn between annoyance and amusement over Zuko's unapologetic attempt at blackmail. Despite his manipulative threat, however, Aang could see easily discern the gleam in Zuko's eyes as mischievous rather than malicious. His actions were almost…sibling-like. Aang's heart warmed with affection at the thought that Zuko might think of him as a brother even as he asked, "Were you always this evil?"

Zuko heaved an exasperated groan. "Will you just teach me already?"

By the time they finished their set, Zuko was drenched in sweat and Aang's thin, red shirt was plastered to his body like a second skin. Both of them were practically trembling with exhaustion. But their hard work had paid off and Zuko was able to produce a tiny flicker of fire from his palm when it was all over. It wasn't the raging inferno he'd been hoping for, but it was enough for right then.

"I can't believe I finally know all the elements," Zuko sighed in relief as he rolled to his feet. "I thought this day would never come."

"You still have a ways to go," Aang cautioned, standing as well.

"Don't bring me down, okay," Zuko retorted shortly. "Just let me bask in my success for a minute. I finally did something _right_ for a change."

"We should celebrate!" Katara decided impulsively. "I'll go downstairs and get Sokka and Toph!"

"No, Katara, don't do that," Zuko interjected before she'd taken a single step, "I kind of want to be by myself for a little while, just to soak it all in."

"But you've had time to yourself for days now," she argued. And when that made no headway, she protested, "You don't even know your way around the city! What if something happens?"

"Don't worry so much. I'll be back before dark," he promised, before scooping up his glider and the water pouch Katara had recently begun insisting he carry. Before she could formulate an inquisition over his plans, Zuko had already disappeared through the open window, becoming a speck on the horizon in a matter of seconds.

After he was gone, Katara and Aang drifted over to the window and stared after him, twin scowls of anxiety knitting their brows. "How long has he been like this?" he asked Katara.

"You mean moody and anti-social?" Katara joked weakly. "Since we met him."

"He's never isolated himself like this before," Aang observed seriously, "It's like he's pulling away or something."

"Losing Appa hit him really hard," Katara replied, "And then after what happened in the desert…"

He snapped a sharp glance at her. "What happened in the desert?"

"Zuko…he…he killed someone," Katara confessed reluctantly. "It was the person who stole Appa. He sold him away to some merchants who planned to peddle him for meat. I think knowing that sent Zuko over the edge. We don't really know what happened and Zuko won't talk about it."

Aang absorbed that revelation with a regretful sigh. "He must feel awful," he surmised sympathetically, "No wonder he's been moodier than usual. Maybe if I tried to talk to—,"

"—It won't help," Katara interrupted, "I've tried over and over again. I think he feels too ashamed and guilty. I wish we could help him, but this is something Zuko has to work out on his own."

"You probably know better than me," Aang conceded, collapsing back to the floor and sprawling onto his belly with a fatigued grunt. "I'll give him some time to work through it, but if nothing happens, I'm hugging him again."

Katara giggled and spread out beside him. In that particular moment, she found it difficult to stop looking at him. Even after two days, she still hadn't quite processed that he was with them again. It almost seemed like a dream.

She wanted to reach out and brush the sweaty tendrils of hair back from his forehead and tease him like she used to, but Katara was apprehensive as to where that might lead. Part of her wanted to cross over into that unknown territory and part of her wanted things to go back to the way they'd been before. At least then she would know what to expect. She hated feeling so uncertain and awkward around him, especially because she had missed the friendship between them the most.

"So, did you overdo it?" she asked, noting Aang's grunts and groans of discomfort as he lay there.

"Maybe a little bit," he moaned painfully. Actually, that was an understatement. His back and shoulders felt like they were on fire, his muscles aching from cuts and bruises not yet healed as well as exertion.

"Your back is probably strained," Katara concluded sagely when she noticed the careful and stiffened manner in which he changed positions so that they were lying face to face. "I can help," she volunteered, already rising up on her knees to uncork her waterskin, "There's this technique I learned in the North Pole and—,"

"Katara, don't!" he cried, twisting away from her when she started to reach for the hem of his shirt. He flashed her with panicked eyes, not wanting her to see the full intent of what had been done to him while he'd been a _guest_ in his father's dungeon. Just the _thought_ of her seeing filled him with shame. "I'm fine!"

"Aang, stop being silly. You're obviously in pain," she dismissed laughingly, chalking his strange behavior up to the lingering unease between them, "It's not like I haven't seen your naked back before." She tugged at his shirt, attempting to wrestle the bunched material from his tight fingers. "Would you get over yourself?" she teased him, "I'm not going to swoon at the sight of your bird chest or anything."

"Stop it! I said no!" he insisted firmly.

At his sharpened tone, she released him immediately and reared back with a short gasp of surprise. "Fine," Katara huffed after a moment, a little hurt by his curt reaction, "I was only trying to help you."

When she started to shove to her feet, Aang knew he'd made a mess of things. "Katara, I didn't mean to snap at you just now. I'm sorry."

"You know, when Zuko gets all quiet and cold and Sokka shrugs me off, I get that," Katara mumbled, "I expect that from them. Zuko almost never talks and Sokka thinks he's too manly to share his feelings with his little sister. But you've always been different, Aang. _We_ were different. We could always talk to each other. We could always trust each other. When did that change? Was it when you kissed me and decided we couldn't be friends anymore?"

"Katara, wait," he called after her when she started to leave.

She whirled on her heel to face him, her eyes suddenly leaping with angry blue fire. "Don't tell me to wait! You don't get to do that, especially when you refuse to talk about what's going on with you!" she blazed, "After everything that has happened, I _deserve_ that much, Aang! You didn't even ask me how I felt about anything or even tell me how _you_ felt! Everything just changed in a second and I couldn't even talk to you about it because you were gone! Now you're back and I still can't talk to you! Don't you get that at all?"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled helplessly. He wanted desperately to undo the last few minutes between them, but recognized that what Katara had just unleashed had been building for much longer than just a few minutes. "You're right. The kiss was impulsive and I didn't think it through. I just…"

"You just what?" she prompted shortly. She folded her arms across her chest expectantly. "I'd really like to know what you were thinking."

"I…" _Was thinking that if it was going to be the last time I saw you, I wanted to take something with me to remember. I was thinking about how much I needed you and how much I needed you to know how I felt, _Aang finished in his heart. But he didn't voice the words out loud. Instead, he said, "I was caught up in the moment. I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry. I don't want you to be mad at me, Katara."

Katara slumped forward in the aftermath of her infuriated tirade, saddened to discover that the admission provided her with little satisfaction. Though she wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting him to say or even if she was ready to hear it, she certainly hadn't been expecting an explanation as trite as that. His response disappointed her and left her just as confused as ever.

"I'm not angry with you," she dismissed lightly, hovering in the entry way of the dojo, "I guess we need a little time to get used to each other again. That's all."

"Right," Aang agreed gruffly.

"Listen, I'm sorry for losing my temper a minute ago," she sighed contritely, the frustration suddenly draining from her, "It's been a really emotional day." She surveyed him with a forlorn expression. "Are you sure you're alright?" Aang jerked his head in a bobbing nod and Katara forced a smile. "Good. I'm going to go downstairs and see what Sokka and Toph are up to. You look like you could use a nap anyway."

"A nap sounds like a good idea," he agreed, but Aang well knew after she left he wasn't going to sleep at all.


	35. Chapter Thirty Four

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

"What do you mean I can't see the Earth King?" Zuko flared angrily. Setting aside his staff, he braced his hands against the polished surface of the desk and bent up a platform of earth so that he and the trembling guard seated behind the desk were nose to nose. "Does he know that _the_ _Avatar_ is requesting audience with him?"

"You must understand," the guard explained uncomfortably, gulping down his mounting panic when he spied the angry impatience leaping in the young Avatar's eyes, "It is not my policy. That is simply the way we do things here in Ba Sing Se. I'm afraid you can only meet with the Earth King by appointment."

Zuko retracted the platform abruptly, causing the guard to tumble off his feet. "By appointment?" he scoffed incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You have no idea what I've gone through to get here! I'm not waiting here all afternoon!"

The guard cowered and added reluctantly, "Um…it usually takes 30 days to process a request, Avatar…sir…"

"You're out of your mind!" Zuko exploded. "I'm not waiting 30 days!"

The guard gulped again, feeling the squeeze at being put in such an untenable position, vacillating between displeasing his superiors and displeasing the Avatar. "M-My…my most sincere and humble apologies, Avatar Zuko," he stammered fearfully, "Perhaps, I can expedite matters for you so that you won't have to wait the full 30 days. Yes. Yes. I can do that," he promised with a nervous bobbing of his head, "It…it would be twenty tops."

He turned and quickly rummaged through the desk at his left. "I have an application right here that you can fill out—," Without even glancing at the application, Zuko knocked the documents from his hand with a fierce slice of wind, scattering the papers across the floor. "I suppose I could make it fifteen," the guard squeaked.

"_Now_. I want to see the Earth King now," Zuko enunciated from between clenched teeth, "Make it happen or I will blow apart every door in this palace and find him myself!"

"I understand," the guard responded with a fearful nod, "Yes…blow apart the doors. That's very clear." He took several retreating steps backwards. "Please, wait here and I will see what can be done."

Zuko suppressed his growl of frustration. He should have realized that simply approaching the Palace and requesting to speak with the king of Ba Sing Se was not going to be that simple. He wondered vaguely if his failure in the endeavor was some kind of karmic result that sprang out of his stubborn and impulsive decision to see the Earth King on his own. He knew his friends wouldn't be happy once they learned he'd spoken to the Earth King without them, but Zuko felt like he had no choice. The darkness inside him was growing with each passing day. It was slowly consuming him and Zuko knew that it was only a matter of time before it began to consume his friends as well.

He could already see the effect his increasing moodiness was having on them. The situation was made worse because he couldn't possibly talk to them about what was bothering him. He couldn't possibly put into words the guilt and shame that was eating him alive. Ironically, Aang's return had only made things worse. Zuko couldn't ignore the lightened atmosphere within the group that had returned with him or the smiles and laughter that came so readily. In all honesty, Zuko had missed those things as well. He was glad that they had returned, yet conversely, he was unable to find joy in them any longer.

Simply stated, he was lost and afraid. He missed his people too much. He missed Appa too much and there was very little about himself that he felt good about anymore. The few things in the world that had brought him joy were nearly all gone now. He felt as if he were losing everything that was most precious to him a piece at a time. Even Aang's miraculous return had only managed to dull the feeling, but not eradicate it altogether. Zuko felt as if he were going through the motions, doing what needed to be done, but his heart wasn't in it. It was like he'd lost the will to live, or at least, abandoned the belief that he could or would ever be happy.

Fairly drowning in his feelings of worthlessness and despair, Zuko didn't want to subject his friends to his miserable company any longer than necessary. They were the only good things he had left and Zuko certainly didn't want to drive them away. Yet, he knew that was _exactly_ what he was doing. He couldn't seem to express to them his conflicting need to have them in his life and be apart from them at the same time. Even he didn't understand it. What he did know is that the way he was acting towards them was making them feel rejected and that was not what Zuko wanted at all.

It would be different once the war was over, he decided. They would all go back to the lives they'd lived prior to meeting him and he would go on to fulfill his duties as Avatar. He would see them on occasion when he passed through the territory or for friendly visits and he would smile and reminisce about old times and convince them that he was whole and happy and secure. It would be easier to keep up the charade then. But now, when he was in their company day after day, the depression he felt was impossible to hide. The sooner he ended the war, the sooner he would gain some respite…and in order to do that he would need to gain the Earth King's alliance first. Finding himself unexpectedly stalled at the first step in his plan did not help to improve Zuko's disposition one iota.

After several minutes of anxious pacing, the guard re-emerged, flanked by an additional two. The men were dressed in long, black robes with a circle insignia of gold and green in the center. Most of their faces were obscured by their wide brimmed hats, but Zuko suspected that their features were likely as inscrutable and remote as their entrance had been silent.

He regarded the newcomers with wary eyes. "Well?" he demanded impatiently, "Will you take me to see the Earth King or not?"

One of the robed guardsmen nodded. "If you will please follow me," he instructed formally, "I will take you to someone who can help you."

"Thank you," Zuko uttered gruffly, the angry bluster finally deflating out of him, "I appreciate that." Feeling slightly regretful of his earlier outburst, he dutifully and silently followed the guard to a palatial study at the very end of the corridor.

There, inside the large room decorated with gleaming oak and gold and accented with sparkling emerald stones, a man stood before an ornate fireplace where green flames leapt and spat and cast the entire room with a verdant glow. The man was tall and austere and his presence seemed very commanding. Zuko knew immediately he was in the presence of someone great. He could tell from the deferential manner the guards bowed before him that the strange man wielded much power in Ba Sing Se.

"Are you the Earth King?" Zuko wondered expectantly.

"I'm afraid not, young Avatar," the man said in a deep and dignified tone, "My name is Long Feng. I am the Grand Secretary of Ba Sing Se and royal head of the Dai Li." He nodded to the silent guards in the four corners of the room. "I also serve as Royal Advisor to the Earth King. My job is to keep order within the city and I have been doing that for more than three decades."

"Then you're exactly who I need to speak to," Zuko deduced eagerly, "You can take me to the Earth King then?"

"It's not as simple as that," Long Feng cautioned him. "The Earth King is a very busy man. He is never seen without an appointment."

"But I have urgent business that I need to discuss with him," Zuko insisted, "It concerns the war and it cannot wait 30 days!"

"The war has no bearing on what goes on within the walls of Ba Sing Se. The Earth King cannot help you with your petty affairs."

That was certainly not the response Zuko was expecting and, consequently, he scowled at Long Feng incredulously. "Excuse me? Petty affairs? We're talking about the same war, right? You know, the one that's been raging for a century now? This affects him just as much as everyone else!"

"I'm afraid you are wrong. There is no war within the walls," Long Feng said, "By keeping ourselves separate from the world's inconsequential squabbles that unfold, Ba Sing Se has remained a peaceful, orderly utopia. I will not allow anything to jeopardize that."

"I wonder what the Earth King has to say about that!" Zuko fired.

"He and I are of like mind," Long Feng replied calmly.

"You've got to be joking," Zuko scoffed. "I don't believe that! Firebenders are cutting a path across the Earth Kingdom straight for your gates! They're not going to stop until entire Earth Kingdom falls!"

"That will _never_ happen," Long Feng replied, "The Fire Nation has tried to breach our walls many times and they have always failed. I suspect any future attempts will yield similar results. As a result, I do not bother the Earth King with such trivial matters."

"People are dying out there!" Zuko exploded sharply. "There's nothing _trivial_ about that!"

"I am willing to make your stay here as comfortable as possible, Avatar," Long Feng offered magnanimously, "You are venerated and well respected in Ba Sing Se. However, I must warn you that if you persist in these anarchist ideas, I will have no choice but to expel you from the city."

"Are you seriously threatening to kick me out?" Zuko seethed, "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?"

"This does not have to be unpleasant, Avatar," Long Feng cajoled calmly. "You will be pleased to know that I have planned a banquet in your honor as a welcome on the Earth King's behalf. I am also providing you with luxurious living quarters in the upper ring for as long as you remain here in our fair city. Your stay will be nothing less than enjoyable _if_ you don't make unnecessary trouble. Surely, after the weeks of hardship you've endured, that is a welcome prospect, is it not?"

"You're trying to bribe me and it won't work!" Zuko snapped. "You can keep your fancy balls and living quarters! I am going to see the Earth King and you won't stop me!"

"I anticipated such a response from you. It's a pity it had to end this way," Long Feng sighed regretfully. "Dai Li! Seize him!"

Zuko bent himself up onto a soaring platform of ice as dozens upon dozens of earthen fists flew at him from all directions. He managed to avoid their grasping fingers, but the powerful force with which they'd been launched shattered his frozen pillar into hundreds of tiny ice shards. Shaken from his perch, Zuko vaulted through the open space on a shaft of air and landed in a crouched position in a single, agile motion. He slammed his hand into the ground, throwing up a shaft of thick earth that rumbled through the floor towards his attackers. The pursuing Dai Li agents surfed the billowing mound of earth like a cresting wave, veering around the Avatar so that they formed a perfect circle, cutting off all possible escape.

Lips curled in a defiant sneer, Zuko began rotating his arms in counterstrike. But his airbending attack was aborted before the wind had even begun to gain speed. Within seconds, the Dai Li, in one united assault, enveloped Zuko up to his neck in an unyielding band of rock that pinned his limbs together in a tight vise and constricted his breathing. He glared at Long Feng in seething hatred as the small army of silent Dai Li agents closed in.

"Take the Avatar to Lake Laogai and deal with him," Long Feng ordered, "He needs to understand how things are done here in Ba Sing Se."

****

He found her out on the terrace, watching the darkened sky for some sign of Zuko.

Aang's first instinct was to leave Katara in peace, especially after their earlier argument, but he couldn't turn away. Even with her back to him, he could clearly discern the tension in her spine and the nervous way she chafed her biceps. She was worried. He didn't need her verbal confirmation to know it. Aang could read the truth easily in her body language.

"He'll be back," he reassured her, causing Katara to jump at the sudden intrusion of his voice. "He's probably just taking some time to come to grips with what happened with Appa. You said that he never really had a chance to grieve about it."

Katara swung around to face fully him with an anxious sigh. "That makes sense, but… He said he'd be back before dark," she fretted, "It's getting late. The sun has already gone down and he's nowhere in sight, Aang."

"Do you want to go look for him?" Aang offered.

She did. Her instincts were screaming at her to go combing through the streets of Ba Sing Se searching every inn and tavern and teashop until she found Zuko. Katara couldn't shake the feeling that he was in trouble somehow. However, if she was wrong, and he was just soaking in his solitude and she inadvertently interrupted his quest for peace, Katara knew the results would not be good. Likely she'd only worsen his mood rather than making anything better. She felt caught between following her gut and respecting Zuko's wish for space.

Anxious and uncertain, Katara sighed heavily and hunched her shoulders forward. "Maybe I should give him another hour," she considered, nibbling her lip, "He was a little tense when he left earlier. I'm probably worrying over nothing. He's always telling me that I'm too motherly." She regarded Aang with self-conscious uncertainty. "Do you think that?"

"Think what?"

"That I'm too motherly?" Katara pressed.

"You can be," Aang admitted with non-judgmental candor, "but that's because you care. Frankly, I'm glad you're that way and I know Zuko appreciates it too, even if he doesn't say so."

"Maybe…" Katara mumbled, unconvinced.

"Listen, Uncle just served a late supper," Aang said. "Why don't we go inside and eat before there's nothing left? If Zuko still hasn't returned by the time we're finished then we'll go looking for him. Deal?"

Katara slumped in gratitude at the offer. "You don't think I'm being irrational and silly?" she prodded.

"You should always listen to your instincts, Katara," Aang advised.

"Okay," she agreed after a moment, "If he's not back by the time we're done with dinner, I'd like to go after him. Thank you, Aang."

"For what?"

"For sticking by me and being a friend."

He graced her with faint smile. "No problem."

However, as he turned to slip back inside his uncle's apartment, Katara called out after him, "Aang, wait!" He turned back to face her with an expectant stare and, under the penetrating intensity of his eyes Katara had to resist the urge to fidget. "I was thinking about the fight we had earlier this afternoon…" she began haltingly.

"That wasn't a fight," he laughed. "It was a loud disagreement. I'm not angry. Are you?"

"No. I'm not angry," she admitted, "But I feel like I was unfair to you. What happened this afternoon…when I blew up at you…it was about so much more than that kiss."

A sudden trembling began in Aang's knees. "It was?"

Katara closed her eyes, managing a deep swallow past the lump in her throat before she went on to explain, "I've had a lot of mixed up feelings since you disappeared. For a long time, I thought you were dead and that affected me in a way I hadn't expected. I missed you so much. You became so important to me and in such a short amount of time. It's been really hard without you and I think part of me was angry because you weren't here." When he opened his mouth, no doubt to explain himself, Katara rushed to add, "I know it's irrational, but it was how I felt. I guess all of that came pouring out of me. I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have attacked you like I did."

"You didn't attack me, Katara. You had a right to say how you felt," Aang insisted. "You're confused and you don't know what to expect. Who wouldn't feel the same in your position?"

"But you've only just returned. It's not like I've given you a lot of time to adjust," she cried in a self-deprecating tone. "It wasn't fair to heap so many expectations on you so soon. It's going to take you a little time to feel comfortable around the group again," she considered, "and around me. I should have been more thoughtful."

"But I _do_ feel comfortable around you, Katara," Aang replied fervently. "I don't want you to think that I can't talk to you or that I don't trust you anymore. Sometimes, I think you're the only person I _can_ talk to." While she was still reeling over that surprising statement, Aang turned and quietly slid the balcony door closed, shutting out the conversation from inside the apartment and leaving them both in relative solitude. "There's something I want to show you…" he began carefully, "Something I didn't want you to see earlier and that's why I acted the way I did…"

Before he lost his nerve, Aang presented her with his back and then quickly peeled his shirt overhead. When her horrified gasp sounded in his ears a second later, he cringed inwardly. Swallowing down his shame and embarrassment, Aang forced himself to turn around and meet her appalled features. "That's why I reacted like I did when you tried to help me," he whispered, "It wasn't anything you did at all. I just didn't want you to see."

"Oh Aang," she groaned, swallowing back her tears because she suspected the last thing he wanted was for her to cry for him. "I'm so sorry," she uttered again. She winced when she thought of how she'd browbeaten him earlier for keeping secrets. Now, Katara understood perfectly why he'd kept silent. "You must think I'm a horrible bully…"

"I do. You are, the absolute worst," he teased her wryly after pulling his shirt back down over his head, "but I don't mind it. I know you wouldn't push so much unless you cared. That's why I didn't want to keep this a secret from you. I didn't want you thinking that you had done something wrong, Katara."

Though she meant to smile at his tender words, her efforts resulted in little more than a pained grimace. She was simply unable to blot the sight of bruise mottled back from her mind. "Are you still in a lot of pain?"

"I'm sore," he admitted, "but I'm healing." He paused, his voice lowering several octaves when he added, "I don't want anyone to know, Katara. Please, don't say anything."

"Aang, you have nothing to be ashamed of!" she replied fiercely, "You didn't do anything wrong! In fact, you shouldn't be anything but proud of yourself because you earned those bruises by being loyal to us!"

"Don't…" he grunted softly.

"It's true!" Katara insisted. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to keep her tears from spilling over. "When I think of what you must have endured for us…"

"Stop it. You don't know. I thought about turning you guys over to the Firelord," Aang confessed shamefully. "I almost convinced myself that if I did it, I could fix things with my father. I was conflicted all the time even though I shouldn't have been. I'm not a hero, Katara."

"Everyone is conflicted sometimes, Aang," Katara argued, "but you still did the right thing, even when it was hard and even when you were hurt because of it."

"And that's the whole point!" Aang retorted. "My father is a monster! How could I even entertain the idea of having a relationship with him or even _want_ to? What kind of person does that make me?"

"He's your father. It makes you a teenage boy who needs his dad. I know how that feels. I miss my dad every day and I'd be willing to do almost anything if it meant he, Sokka and I could be a family again. It's natural that you would want a relationship with your father, even when you know it's impossible." She regarded him with tear glazed eyes. She wanted to reach out and take him into her arms, but lacked the courage to do so…maybe because she felt she half deserved his rejection after the way she'd acted.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," she whispered. And then, because she knew how much he disliked dwelling on negative things, she added brightly, "My offer from earlier still stands, you know?"

Recognizing what she was trying to do, Aang made an effort to meet her halfway. He offered her a small smile. "What offer?"

"I can help ease the pain in your back a little."

"Katara, it's not a pulled muscle," he said, "I don't think a massage will help much."

"This isn't a massage. Trust me," she replied. "Take off your shirt and get on your knees. I'm going to give you a healing session."

Rather than complaining that he'd just put it back on, Aang obediently carried out her orders even as he was visibly skeptical of her intentions. "A healing session?" he questioned as he got into position; "What's that exactly?" However, a few moments later, when he felt the water gliding warmly over his tender flesh, easing the ache in his muscles and closing the oozing fissures of skin, all Aang's curiosity dissolved into low, gratified groans.

"How does that feel?" Katara asked, smiling because she already knew the answer to the question. His grunts and sighs were pretty self-evident.

He arched his back into her healing touch, closing his eyes and hissing with contentment. "It feels amazing. When did you learn to do this?"

"In the North Pole," she told him. "When I first learned it was because Master Pakku…he was Zuko's waterbending master…he wouldn't teach me waterbending. I was really resentful about it at first, but now…I'm glad I learned."

"Me too," Aang groaned softly. "You're really good at it."

"I can't do much about the bruising," she cautioned him, "But I can, at least, help with the pain and heal some of the broken skin."

"It doesn't matter. What you're doing now is more than enough," Aang sighed. He flicked a wry glance over his shoulder at her. "I suppose this means you've become a master Waterbender then, huh? Congratulations, Katara. I know how badly you wanted that."

"I don't know if I'd describe myself as a master yet," Katara hedged modestly.

Aang grinned at her. "You'll have to show me some of your moves sometime. We have a lot to catch up on."

Katara re-corked her water and reached out to cradle his cheek in an instinctual caress. "Yeah, we do."

However, her touch had a sobering effect on Aang because it forcefully reminded him of all the matters that were still unspoken between them. Rather than smiling, he reluctantly pulled her fingers from his cheek. "Katara," he began gravely, "I need to tell you something."

She suppressed the shudder of dread his suddenly serious tone provoked. "What is it, Aang?"

"Earlier today when we were talking, I lied to you," he confessed gruffly. "When I told you that I kissed you that day because I was caught up in the moment…that wasn't entirely true."

"It wasn't?"

"I _was_ caught up in the moment, but that's not why I kissed you."

Katara sank down on her knees beside him, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming in short, shallow pants as she whispered, "Then why did you?"

"Because I like you, Katara," he whispered back, "I _really_ like you. I've always liked you." When his fingers fluttered over her cheek, she closed her eyes, in full expectation and anticipation of his kiss this time…

A sudden snort of laughter and the sharp, clicking sound of Zuko's glider as it snapped closed shattered the quiet intimacy of the moment. "Didn't you two get enough of that before?"

Katara jerked to attention the moment she heard him. Both she and Aang reacted immediately, the near kiss between them almost instantly forgotten as they scrambled to collect themselves. Katara whirled to her feet to confront Zuko while Aang groped for his shirt and pulled it on, before standing as well.

"Where have you been?" Katara lectured Zuko sharply. "I've been worried sick! You said you would be back before dark! Does it look like it's _before_ dark to you?"

"Calm down! I'm okay, Katara. And I have a _really_ good reason for being late," Zuko gushed excitedly. "You'll never guess who I met while I was out!"

His almost _cheerful_ demeanor gave Aang and Katara understandable pause. It felt like being dashed in the face with ice-cold water. They didn't know what to make of Zuko's extraordinary mood swing and, consequently, experienced several of their own, veering from relieved annoyance to surprised bewilderment in the space of a few seconds. Aang and Katara regarded one another with questioning glances before turning their befuddled gazes back towards Zuko.

"Uh…are you okay?" Aang prodded carefully.

"Never better," Zuko replied brightly, "Why?"

"You just seem a little…" Aang trailed off in search of the most appropriate word while Katara provided rather bluntly, "Happy. You seem happy. Why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden?"

"Would you prefer it if I were in a bad one?" Zuko countered lightly, a response which only further alarmed his friends. He laughed at their expressions. "Don't worry. I feel much better after my walk. I guess I needed to get out of my own head for a while."

"If you say so," Aang replied slowly, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"I am too," Zuko agreed. "Now, that we've gotten that out of the way, can I tell you who I met or what?"

"Um…who did you meet?" Katara asked gamely.

"I met the Earth King's royal advisor," Zuko revealed dramatically, "His name is Long Feng and he promised me that he would get us in to see the Earth King as soon as possible!"

"That's fantastic, Zuko!" Aang enthused, "I know how anxious you were about talking to the Earth King about your plan. It looks like everything is falling into place."

"It definitely is. Though it might be a little while before I see him," Zuko prefaced, "The Earth King is a very busy man. But Long Feng promised me he'd expedite matters."

"How long is a little while?" Katara wondered.

"Maybe a month," Zuko replied, offhand. "It's not very long when you think about it."

"A month?' Katara guffawed incredulously. The idea of waiting a month for an audience with the Earth King seemed completely unreasonable to her, especially when Sozin's Comet was due by summer's end. She didn't know what dismayed her more: the idea of waiting or the curious fact that _Zuko _didn't seem the least bit bothered by it at all.

"It'll go by fast," he assured her. "Just wait and see. In the meantime, Long Feng wants to throw us a banquet to make up for the delay _and_ he's offering us an apartment in the upper ring for the duration of our stay here!" He reached inside his lapel and pulled free a bronze colored key, flashing it before Aang and Katara's faces. "We're going to have our own place! Isn't that great?"

However, in stark contrast to his unprecedented excitement, Zuko was met with little more than confused and uneasy silence from his friends. He gaped at Katara and Aang in exasperation. "What's the matter with you two?" he cried, "This is a _good_ thing, you guys! It's not like we could all stay here together in General Iroh's tiny apartment."

"It's…it's not that, Zuko," Katara hedged carefully, "I'm just surprised you're taking the idea of waiting _a month_ to speak with the Earth King so well."

Zuko shrugged. "Eh, I'm trying to be patient for a change," he replied lightly. His response was disquieting, but then when he quickly dismissed the subject to ask, "Is dinner ready," that was when Katara _really_ started to worry.

Aang made a concerted effort not to stare at the young Avatar even though the complete shift in his attitude and demeanor made the Fire Nation prince a little dizzy. "Uncle only just served the bowls," Aang told him. "Go in and help yourself."

"I think I will," Zuko accepted with a shocking grin. "I'm starving! Hey, don't stay out here too long, guys," he warned as he headed for the sliding door, shooting them a secret smile as he did, "Sokka's not nearly as clueless as he seems."

However, after he was gone, romance was the furthest thing from Aang and Katara's minds. "What was that?" Katara asked, her expression a mask of dazed mystification.

"I don't know…" Aang mumbled.

"That was so weird."

"It's kind of creepy seeing him smile like that," Aang remarked. He shuddered, inexplicably disturbed by Zuko's sudden mood shift and, because he was, compelled to find reason behind it. "Maybe it's just what he said," he considered, "Maybe the walk cleared his mind. He seemed happy and relaxed just now. That's a good thing, right?"

Katara, though, didn't seem at all convinced by that explanation. Aang nudged her playfully with his shoulder, deliberately shaking off his hanging discomfort in order to reassure her. "I'm sure he's okay. We should enjoy his good mood while he has one. Don't worry so much, Katara."

"Okay," Katara consented, even as her eyebrows drew together in a frown of apprehension, "I'll try."


	36. Chapter Thirty Five

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

"I said move, you ignorant beast!"

Though Xin Fu tugged on the 60 pound chain that was looped tightly around each of the bison's six legs and served as a heavy metal collar for the animal, Appa would not be moved. Even maltreated and half starved, he retained a majestic dignity wrapped in an inherently defiant nature. The threat of beating or starvation did not deter him. He had been shuffled from one place to another for days now and he would endure no more. The ten ton bison had made up his mind and he would not be herded another step. Xin Fu would have to live with it.

Infuriated, the Earthbender raised his arm to strike Appa with his driving whip, but then lowered it at the last second because he recognized any attempts to beat the animal into submission would prove futile. The harder he pushed, the more willful the animal would become. Xin Fu's plan was not working out the way he'd imagined. The bison was simply more trouble than he was worth. Having slowly come to the conclusion over the course of the last few days, Xin Fu was beginning to consider cutting his losses. Only his stubborn pride and refusal to take a monetary loss kept him from doing so.

The plan had been a rather simple one. He would hold the Avatar's bison in a secured location and then initiate a trade agreement with the Airbender. In exchange for his pet, Xin Fu would demand that the Avatar give over the Bei Fong girl. Of course, he had planned to double-cross them both, not only extorting Toph's father for more money before handing her over, but also cashing in on the hefty price the Fire Nation had placed on the Avatar's head. He'd eventually free his hands of the bison, the Avatar and the girl _and_ he'd be a rich man by the end of it all. The scheme had been ingenious…_foolproof_…or so he'd thought.

Unfortunately, he'd miscalculated the cost of caring for such a large animal. Appa nearly ate his weight in food on a daily basis and began quickly draining Xin Fu's money stores. He had cut back on feeding the bison in order to save some coin, but the result had made the animal sluggish and uncooperative. Xin Fu couldn't figure out how a thirteen year old boy had managed to command the shaggy giant seemingly without effort, but he had to resort to threat and violence and even then he couldn't always bend the animal to his will.

Only two days before, a smarmy circus barker had approached him with an offer to buy Appa off his hands. It seemed the man was in the market for a new star attraction, as he'd lost his prized acrobat a few weeks earlier. Xin Fu had refused him initially, recognizing the precious commodity he had in the Avatar's bison even when the beast was driving him crazy. Now, however, he was reconsidering his options, faced with yet another night of sleeping out in the open because no inns had any place to house an animal so massive. After all that, Appa's latest streak of obstinacy was the last straw for Xin Fu.

Flinging away his whip in disgust, Xin Fu collapsed down onto a nearby boulder and sneered at Appa. "I don't know why I bother with you," he muttered crossly, "I don't even like animals."

"Then allow us to take him off your hands."

At the sudden appearance of the three, immaculately dressed young women slipping through the cluster of trees, Xin Fu leapt to his feet, instantly falling into a defensive stance. At first glance, there was nothing wholly intimidating about them. Yet, there was a cold and menacing gleam in the eyes of the one who stood foremost. Something about the wicked expression on her face, the blatant promise in her golden eyes to wreak havoc and lay waste, raised Xin Fu's hackles and warned him of impeding danger. The fact that the bison reacted violently to their arrival only strengthened his suspicions.

In addition to that, Xin Fu couldn't help but be wary about three girls traipsing through the middle of the forest. Though they seemed young, he did not mistake them for naïve. In fact, when he pondered it a bit more, he realized that he had caught glimpses of them here and there over the course of the last several days. He came to the rather obvious conclusion that they following him. And in light of the bison's wild bucking, Xin Fu suspected the reason why.

"Who are you?" he growled menacingly, "and what do you want?"

"That's a simple enough question to answer," Azula chirped almost conversationally in response, "I'm here to take the bison."

Xin Fu laughed. "Move along, little girl," he scoffed, "The only way you're taking this bison is over my dead body!"

Azula released an expansive sigh. "If that's how you want it…"

The blaze of blue fire that surged from the girl's fingertips surprised Xin Fu, but did not frighten him. He recovered from his shock quickly, clasping a cradle of heavy rock about his body, shielding himself from her fiery attack. The girls converged on him together, launching their attack on him from all sides. In an attempt to stave off their advancing assault, Xin Fu spread his stance wide and stomped his feet against the ground, causing the surface to split apart. A large, jagged fissure formed in the earth's crust and created a gaping demarcation between him and his assailants.

Thrown off balance in the small quake, Mai grabbed hold of an overhead tree branch to keep from falling into the abyss, while Ty Lee sailed over it gracefully in a fluid cartwheel and Azula bounced from tree to tree, deftly avoiding the crack as it expanded across the forest floor. Ty Lee landed first and made several, stabbing jabs at Xin Fu's arms and chest. He skirted and scooted around her advances, counting her twisting steps against the ground so that when she made her final lunge at him, he trapped her ankles in earth. Once she was immobile, he twisted his wrists and quickly drilled her below the surface so that she was buried up to her neck. Helpless, Ty Lee stared up at him with a squeaking yelp of surprise.

However, Xin Fu didn't have time to crow over the victory. The other two were still advancing, intensifying their attack now that they realized they were one less. He caught sight of the deadly glint of the taller girl's shurikens in the sunlight before they went whizzing past his body in rapid succession, slicing out tiny ribbons of flesh with each deadly pass. The knives rained down in a cloud of blue fire and rising smoke.

Rolling out from beneath both girls' unrelenting strikes, which snapped trees limbs and ignited small blazes throughout the forest, Xin Fu decided to take them out one at a time. He concentrated his efforts first on the knife wielder. He found refuge behind an undamaged tree, only vaguely acknowledging that the Avatar's bison had gone missing. First, he would deal with the homicidal twits and then he would give that disrespectful animal a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

As Mai stalked around the perimeter of the ring of trees where he was hidden, Xin Fu shot forth a linear shaft of earth that caught the stealthy teen unawares and knocked her to the other side of the forest. She lay still some fifteen feet away. Satisfied with the results, Xin Fu felt confident enough to face the remaining girl head on.

It was only the two of them now. They faced each other across the expanse of the broken forest. Xin Fu cracked his neck in preparation for the battle. Azula merely smirked.

"You really _don't_ know who I am, do you?" she queried in an amused tone.

"I don't care who you are," Xin Fu retorted, "You're not taking my bison! No one steals from Xin Fu!"

"That's rather interesting, especially since we both know he's not _your_ bison at all," Azula replied. "However, you've impressed me today. I'm willing to give you the opportunity to walk away with your life. You should take it."

"I'll pass," Xin Fu flung back dryly. "I've already taken care of your friends, now it's your turn!"

The heavy boulder he launched at her was disintegrated into a million particles of choking dust before it ever came close to reaching her. His attempts to lock her at the ankles in earth also failed. She darted and danced from underneath his attacks like a fleet-footed gazelle. Her survival instincts were remarkable, but her deadly precision was Azula's true crowning glory. She matched him blow for blow, singing his flesh with fiery kisses. Xin Fu had the vague impression that she was toying with him, holding back out of sheer boredom and not lack of prowess. That suspicion was confirmed a few seconds later when she made her final assault.

Rebounding from a broken tree stump, Azula planted herself on the ground and began dragging her feet across the surface, creating a crackling halo of electricity around her body. Xin Fu recognized the danger he faced mere seconds before the lightning surged into him in a sizzling rush, constricting his limbs and shocking his heart. His body quaked and convulsed with the sheer violence of the voltage before falling to the ground in a smoking heap.

Afterwards, Azula straightened and went to stand over him, mildly saddened by the outcome of their abbreviated duel. He had been a surprisingly formidable opponent and rather fearless. She'd liked his bold fighting style and she had to admire the sheer audacity he must have possessed to blithely kidnap the Avatar's bison and pass it off as his own. She wouldn't have minded keeping him around a bit longer. Unfortunately, his penchant for stubborn arrogance had been as great as his earthbending expertise. His death was _almost_ a tragedy.

However, Azula wasted no tears for him. Instead, she quickly shook off the strange feelings of regret and turned her attention to more important matters. Her team had been disabled and the bison was missing. Those two things needed to be addressed immediately.

It only took her a few minutes to find Mai, who was still trying to shake off the grogginess created by Xin Fu's punishing wallop. Azula nudged the other girl's hip with the tip of her boot. "Get up," she ordered. "Find Ty Lee and dig her out of the hole she's in. I'm going after the Avatar's bison."

Appa hadn't managed to get far due to the heavy chains hampering his escape, so it did not take Azula very long to catch up with him. When the animal sensed the approaching danger he tried to knock Azula aside with several powerful swipes of his tail, but she had learned from past dealings with him and did not allow herself to fall prey to his wind blasts. When she landed in front of him a few seconds later, Azula shook her head in mild chastisement.

"Too bad for you, I'm a very fast learner," she taunted.

The mighty beast growled at her and, when he would have charged and trampled her, Azula threw up a wall of blazing blue fire that not only stopped Appa in his tracks, but had him cringing and mewling in pain. Azula watched with dispassionate eyes as the bison licked at his injured paws. "Don't ever try that again," Azula warned him coldly. The command was deceptively soft and calm, but Appa recognized the menace beneath it and he whimpered. As Azula came closer, he cowered in fear, the ominous blaze engulfing her hands illuminated in his large, fear-rounded eyes. "You _will_ learn to obey me," Azula told him, "And pain will be your teacher!"

****

"Waterbending bomb!"

Sokka, Aang and Toph sat on the outer banks of the large pond situated on their apartment property as Zuko leapt from a tree limb high overhead and did a spiraling dive into the crystal blue water below. He made impact seconds later, splashing up a gigantic wave that washed on shore and drenched his friends thoroughly. He quickly broke the surface of the water, his dark hair plastered to his skull, and grinned at them.

"So how was that one?" he asked breathlessly.

Pursing his lips in pensive consideration, Sokka took a moment to squeeze the excess water from his shirt before declaring enthusiastically, "I give it a ten!"

"All right!" Zuko glanced over at Aang expectantly. "Well? What about you?"

"I give it a seven," he replied, adding when Zuko balked at the low score, "You didn't need to add that fancy twirl on the end. I thought it was too flashy. It was overkill."

"Don't listen to him, Zuko!" Sokka argued, "I liked the twirl! Aang's probably just mad because _he_ can't do it."

"I can so!" the aforementioned snorted proudly. "And just for the record, that was a blatant rip off of a move I did fifteen minutes ago!"

"Oh, whatever! That so wasn't the same move," Sokka snorted back, "Your move had no flare. It was just jump, flip, splash. Big deal."

"Like you're much better!"

While the two young men fell into a round of bickering over who was the better diver, Zuko turned his attention to Toph. "What did you think?"

"I gave it a two," Toph declared dryly.

After dealing with a long line of low scores from Toph, that one had Sokka exploding with incredulity. "WHAT?" he screeched indignantly, diverting his attention mid-argument with Aang. "That dive was perfection, Toph! It was a masterpiece! You can't give it a two! What's wrong with you? Are you blind?"

Toph's features didn't even twitch with the irony of that outburst. "As a matter of fact, Sokka, I am," she replied sardonically. The boys' alternately groaned and slapped their foreheads as they realized they'd spent the last half hour asking her opinion on dives she couldn't even see. No wonder she'd been scoring them so pitilessly low.

"I thought you guys would have picked up on that way before now!" she snorted in exasperation and then she added in sarcastic mumbling, "And you people are supposed to help save the world. I can't tell you how comforting that is."

"So, if you can't see anything, why are you out here?" Zuko wondered crossly as he came out of the water.

"Yeah, it can't be much fun for you," Sokka agreed.

"What are my options?" Toph snorted. "If I don't hang out with you guys, that only leaves Katara and well…I'll take you guys, dunderheads though you may be, any day of the week!"

"Wow, that's harsh," Aang uttered in a soft rush of breath.

"_You_ would think so," Toph teased him, having already picked up on the romantic vibes between him and Katara within moments of meeting him, "But, be honest, Aang. Katara hasn't been any fun at all lately. She's been bossier than usual and it's starting to get on my nerves. She leeches the fun out of everything." She frowned to herself as she recalled Katara hopping all over her that very morning just because she hadn't made her bed. "Has she always been such a wet blanket?"

"All of her life," Sokka laughed.

"What's with her anyway?" Zuko wondered in a low tone, "Toph's right. She _has_ been crabbier than usual. Is she mad about something?"

"She's not mad. She's worried about you, Zuko," Aang told him. "She thinks you're not dealing with your grief over losing Appa."

"What's to deal with?" Zuko considered with a shrug. "He's gone. I'm trying to accept that. If she's waiting for me to cry over it, she's going to be disappointed. I'm not you."

"Hey!" Aang balked in affront, though he quickly joined in with the laughter that ensued.

Off on the edge of the pond, seated in the shadows on the breezy garden, Katara listened to their conversation while absently popping plump berries into Momo's mouth. Sensing her despondence, the lemur leapt into her lap and snuggled there in an attempt to comfort her. With an absent smile, Katara scratched his ears, but otherwise remained lost in thought.

She didn't necessarily like being designated the "wet blanket" of the group. She didn't like that, while everyone else seemed elated with Zuko's sudden shift in personality, she was the only one who was wary of it. Katara couldn't help herself. She was worried and that worry grew more and more as the days passed. The only one who seemed to understand her pain was Aang and even he believed she was overreacting.

Katara wished she could verbalize the sense of impending doom that had settled into her belly, but she could not. She could simply go on one irrefutable truth: she _knew_ Zuko. She knew his heart. She knew his motivations. She knew his _soul_. And the Zuko that was with them was _not_ Zuko. The Zuko she knew could have never shrugged off the idea of waiting a month to talk with the Earth King. The Zuko she knew wouldn't dismiss Appa's memory as if losing him had been nothing more than a bad day. The Zuko she knew wouldn't blow off his all important training to splash around in a pond.

And, while these things seemed good and even healthy to the untrained eye, they clanged loud warning bells for Katara. They screamed at her that Zuko was not Zuko. They needled at her again and again, nudging her conscience with the inescapable knowledge that something was very wrong.

"How long are you going to sit over here and mope in the shadows?"

She tipped back her head to find Aang standing above her, grinning. Momo darted up onto his master's shoulder as Katara swiveled around to face Aang fully. "How did you know I was over here?" she asked wryly.

"I always know where you are, Katara," he said, folding down beside her on the soft patch of grass. Once he did, Momo happily settled into the cradle of his folded legs and began to doze. "What is it about me that makes him sleepy?" he wondered aloud.

Katara emitted a grunting giggle. "Consider it a good thing," she said, "The only time Momo is truly relaxed is if he's in your presence." She slanted a shy look over at Aang. "I know how he feels."

"Well, if that's so," Aang drawled in counter, "Why didn't you come over there and join me?"

"And ruin your fun?" she countered in a hurt tone, "I don't know why'd you even want me to, seeing as how I'm such a 'wet blanket.'"

"Aaah, so you _did_ hear us," Aang surmised in disappointment.

Katara surveyed him under the curtain of her lashes, suddenly insecure in his presence when she couldn't remember being anything but relaxed and comfortable before. "Do you feel like that about me, Aang?" she wondered glumly, "Do you think I leech the fun out of everything?"

"I _love_ being around you, Katara," Aang stressed, reaching out to take hold of her hand, "You know that."

She smiled at him, the ache of uncertainty in her chest easing a bit. She stared down at their clasped hands, tracing the lines of his slender fingers with her own. "But, it's true, isn't it? I _haven't_ been much fun. I've been such a mess lately, Aang," she conceded candidly. "With everything going on with Zuko and the upcoming banquet, I've been so distracted that we haven't even had a chance to talk about what's happening between us."

"You don't need to apologize. I get it, Katara."

"It's still not fair," she insisted, "You deserve some answers." She peeked up at him. "And…and we should probably talk about it, don't you think?"

Katara realized she had avoided this discussion as long as possible. While she liked the secret looks and the blushes and the inadvertent brushes of shoulders and hands as they passed one another in the hallway, she understood the time had come to deal with reality. The gradual changes taking place in her relationship with Aang were exhilarating and confusing, curious and frightening. It was almost too much for her to process.

While Katara recognized that her feelings for him were deepening and changing and that those feelings were wholly out of her control, she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to deal with the rampant emotions, especially when she had so many other things going on at the same time. Simply stated, falling for Aang was entirely too distracting a prospect and Katara could not afford to be distracted. Not now. She told Aang as much.

He frowned at her and tugged his hand from her grasp, confused by her adamant declaration. "What do you mean I'm distracting you?"

"Aang, right now my first priority has to be Zuko and helping him master waterbending so that he can end this war," Katara told him, "I can't be distracted. I don't have time for a…well, a…I can't have a…"

"Wait a second," Aang interrupted as she rooted around for the proper word, "Do you think I don't know that? Zuko's training is just as important to me as it is to you! Did I give you the impression that it's not?"

"Of course, you didn't."

"Then what is this about?"

"Aang, you kissed me," she whispered meaningfully, "You turned everything upside down."

"I know that," he acknowledged softly.

"I know you don't mean to do it…not on purpose anyway, but I'm really confused now."

"Confused about what? Why?"

"I…I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how it's supposed to be now," Katara explained haltingly, a hot blush staining her cheeks as she spoke. "What's happening between us isn't simple for me and…I just don't know if we should be thinking about that right now."

"Thinking about what, Katara?" he prompted.

She managed a spasmodic swallow before she clarified in a gruff whisper, "Being together."

"Oh," Aang squeaked, unsure whether he should be saddened by her declaration or elated because the idea had crossed her mind at all. Just to err on the side of caution, however, Aang decided to ask. "Are…are you saying you want to…I mean…be together? Do you want to be together, Katara?"

"I…I don't know," she stammered, "I…guess so. I'm not sure." She lifted blue eyes full of uncertainty to his equally bewildered gray gaze, pressing her fists into her lap in an effort to keep from twirling her hair, a habit that had recently begun manifesting itself whenever she was alone with him. "I like you, Aang," she confessed in a rush of breath, "I like being with you, but I don't really know what that means."

"I like you too." He searched her features earnestly, noting that the admission didn't seem to comfort her. "Why do I get the feeling you think that's a bad thing?"

"Because now isn't the time to try to figure out what's happening between us," she stressed in a miserable tone. "There's a war going on and we have so much to do before the time comes to face the Firelord. I think we should focus on that." She swallowed, dropping her eyes into her lap as she finished, "I think we should stay friends."

"You want to stay friends?" he parroted thickly.

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"I think we should wait until after the war is over…and then…then we can talk about it."

"Talk about it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Aang agreed slowly because he wasn't sure what else he could do.

Katara peeked at him through the canopy of her lashes. "Are you mad at me?" she wondered timidly.

A painful beat of silence passed between them before he finally answered her. "No," he said, "No, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed, but I understand, Katara. In fact, you're right."

She jerked a startled glance to his face. "I am?"

Aang nodded. "We are fighting a war and that's where our focus needs to be," he told her, "I apologize if I've lost sight of that." She flinched at the hurt she heard in his tone and, because the last thing Aang wanted to do was to make her feel bad, he quickly reassured her with a wobbly smile and said, "It's okay, Katara. We're fine. We're still friends."

"Really? You don't hate me?"

He couldn't help but smile at the meek uncertainty in her inquiry. "I could never hate you," he uttered sincerely, "Thank you for being honest with me. I know it was hard." Aang closed his eyes briefly and then blew out a resolved sigh. "We've discussed it and now it's behind us," he said, "We can focus on more important things. The banquet is in a few nights and we'll finally have an opportunity to speak with the Earth King in person."

"Right," Katara agreed, both grateful and saddened by his abrupt change of subject.

"Maybe once we talk with the Earth King and make formal plans for the invasion, Zuko will stop acting so weird," Aang considered, "After all, we can't win this war if he hasn't got it together."

Katara speared Aang with a surprised look. "But I thought you didn't believe there was anything wrong with him."

"I never said that," Aang disputed with a crooked smile, "I said that it was nice seeing him happy for a change, and it is. I guess I didn't want to rock the boat. But, it's not Zuko and I know that. Something's off about him. I just don't know what it is."

"I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt that way," Katara sighed, "I didn't say anything because I knew you guys would just think I was being a killjoy."

"It's not that I can't believe that Zuko would be happy in certain circumstances," Aang prefaced, "But considering the situation we're dealing with now, especially because of losing Appa, his good mood is a little weird. Something happened that day he went for a walk."

"Maybe we should try and retrace his steps for that day," Katara suggested, "If we know where he went and who he talked to, besides the king's advisor, we might be able to figure out what happened to him." Feeling vindicated for the first time in days, Katara threw her arms around Aang's neck in an impulsive hug. "Thank you for believing me," she whispered.

Aang hugged her hard. "Don't thank me," he replied. "I should have said something to you sooner. You shouldn't have had to fight this long by yourself."

Katara leaned back in his arms, regarding him quizzically. "I haven't been alone, Aang," she told him. "I've felt your support this entire time, even when you thought I was overreacting. I couldn't ask for a better friend than you."

He winced inwardly at her use of the term "friend," but even his disappointed hurt couldn't keep him from falling into the deep sincerity he read in her eyes. It didn't matter that she didn't seem to feel for him what he felt for her. It didn't matter that what he considered a remarkable blessing appeared to be, for Katara, an inconvenient curse. Aang was lost. He had given her his heart and there was no retrieving it. Katara was the girl. She was the _one_. He had never been surer of anything in his entire life.

With that awesome realization, Aang suddenly became hyper aware of her proximity. The warm stir of her breath against his cheek was magnified one hundredfold. He could literally hear his heart drumming in his ears as blood pounded through his extremities. She was so beautiful and perfect and generous and wise that he knew he was going to negate everything she'd just told him and kiss her anyway. She was so incredibly close and he was so incredibly tempted…

Yet, as much as he wanted to kiss her, _ached_ to kiss her, Aang recognized that he shouldn't. Though there was a part of him that needed the reassurance, that needed to know for certain that her reservations really _did_ have to do with the war and _not_ lack of feelings for him, Aang held himself in rigid check. Had he been younger and less experienced, he might have attempted a kiss as he had done once with Mai a long time ago. But that time had ended in humiliating disaster and Aang had learned from his mistake. Kissing Katara when she was so confused would not improve matters, for him or for her. She had made it clear to him that she was distraught and overwhelmed. Aang couldn't let himself take advantage of that.

Reluctantly then, he untangled himself from her lose embrace and removed a sleeping Momo from his lap before rolling to his feet. "You don't have to thank me for being your friend, Katara," he told her, "I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"We're going to have to agree to disagree on that point," she laughed wryly.

"Got it," he replied with a small smile, extending his hand out to her, "I'm going back to join the others. You want to come with me this time?"

"Sure." Katara tipped back her head and smiled at him as she took hold of his fingers and, in that moment, Aang wasn't sure what he felt most, happiness or disappointment.

****

Suki noticed the smoke curling on the horizon long before she became aware of the fact that someone was frantically calling her name. She tore her eyes away from the curious scene to regard a rushing Niyu. "What's going on?" she asked mildly when the winded Kyoshi Warrior reached her side. "Why aren't you at your post?"

"Didn't you say you saw the Avatar a few days back and that he was missing his bison?" Niyu gasped, doubling over to brace her hands against her knees in an effort to catch her breath.

Prickles of apprehension began to dance down Suki's spine, a feeling that was only heightened as she surveyed Niyu's panicked expression. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

"Because I know where he is," Niyu revealed fervidly.

"What? You know where Appa is?" she cried, jumping to her feet, "Where? Tell me where!"

"No, you don't understand," Niyu cautioned, nodding gravely towards the horizon, "That fire in the distance is no ordinary brush fire. Firebenders have the Avatar's bison, Suki."

"_What?_" Suki exploded again, overwhelmed with a new sense of urgency at that latest revelation. "Niyu, why didn't you stop them? We need to go after them right now!"

"They're long gone by now. And besides, there was no way I could have stopped them, not by myself anyway," Niyu said, "You didn't see what I did. Those girls were fierce."

"They were girls?"

"I think it was Princess Azula," Niyu revealed darkly.

"The Fire Nation princess?" came Suki's dubious response, "But how did she even manage to elude the border patrol to get this deep into the Earth Kingdom? That's crazy!"

"I saw her with my own eyes _and_ what she's capable of. You have to go to the Avatar and tell him what's happened," Niyu insisted with a tremble of fear. She closed her eyes, recalling the macabre scene she'd glimpsed in the forest just one hour earlier with a pronounced shudder. "If you knew what I saw…" she whispered gruffly. She bracketed Suki's shoulders firmly, her tone and manner insistently authoritative when she said, "You have to go back to Ba Sing Se and tell the Avatar what's going on!"

"But, what about the—,"

"_Now, _Suki," Niyu said, interrupting her weak protest, "You have to go now."


	37. Chapter Thirty Six

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

"I've never seen so much food in my entire life," Sokka breathed in wonderment. "Please…somebody pinch me." Obligingly, Toph reached out and, none too gently, tweaked his tender flesh. Sokka yelped loudly before swiveling around to glare at her. "Hey! What's the idea?"

"I was only trying to make you happy," Toph replied sweetly.

"Well, you _did_ ask, Sokka," Aang laughed, provoking snickers of amusement from their friends as well.

"It's a figure of speech," Sokka grumbled, pouting and nursing the bruised spot, "Does no one get that?"

When Long Feng had said that he was throwing a banquet in the Avatar's honor, he had certainly meant it. A colorful plume of guests was spread before them, each one glittering with the latest Earth Kingdom fashions. The faintest sound of music could be heard over the steady hum of the crowd. The food was a succulent smorgasbord of prime meats, crisp vegetables and sinfully rich desserts. In all respects, it was almost as if the war had not come to Ba Sing Se at all. There was none feel of the poverty and hardship and fear that they had frequently encountered on their journey. It was a marvelous sight…and a curious one.

"Avatar," Long Feng greeted, suddenly materializing before the small group of teens with arms outstretched in welcome, "You're early and I see you have brought guests with you."

"Yes, these are my very good friends," Zuko confirmed. He nodded towards Katara and Aang who stood on his right and introduced them, before turning to Sokka and Toph on his left and doing the same. "They are staying with me at the apartment you so generously provided."

"I'm happy to hear that," he said, "I trust they are finding the accommodations as comfortable as you are, Avatar."

"Yes, we are!" Aang piped in exuberantly.

His enthused agreement drew Long Feng's immediate attention. The moment the advisor's eyes settled on Aang however, his stare became positively penetrating. Aang didn't have to guess the source of the man's fascination. Everyone was always taken aback by his scar the first time they saw it. He'd grown used to the reaction. But there was something vaguely sinister in Long Feng's stare, an odd suspicion that made Aang extremely uncomfortable. Under the burning intensity of the older man's stare, he somehow managed not to squirm.

"That is a rather wicked looking burn you have there," Long Feng commented smoothly, "How did you receive it?"

Almost instantly Aang could feel the concerned gazes of his friends land on his face, but Aang kept relatively cool. "When I was a little boy, I tripped into the fire pit while trying to peek into my mother's pot of boiling noodles," Aang lied smoothly, "I was always very bad about that. She had warned me about the danger over and over, but I never listened. My scar is a constant reminder to always listen and be obedient." He staunchly ignored the amused, eye-rolling looks he received from Zuko, Katara and Sokka.

"I'm sure that was a difficult way to learn a lesson," Long Feng remarked.

"Indeed," Aang replied, straight-faced.

"Aang does have a hard head sometimes," Zuko supplied with an aggravated glance in the fire prince's direction.

As he and Long Feng exchanged brief chit chat over that, Toph leaned into Aang and mumbled in a furtive and admiring aside, "Hey, you're a pretty good liar."

Aang's eyes sparkled at the compliment. "Well, I try."

Unaware of the surreptitious exchange, Long Feng decided to dismiss the subject altogether, shaking off the discomfited feeling that had assailed him when he saw the boy's mangled scar. "I'm afraid I must attend to the other guests;" he said in a tone full of counterfeit regret, "In the meantime, please enjoy the festivities. And if I can be of any assistance to you, please feel free to ask."

With the invitation put out there, Katara decided to take advantage. "I'd like to know about the Earth King!" she called at his back as he started to turn away.

Long Feng turned back to face her with single, raised brow. "What about the Earth King?"

Katara refused to be intimidated by the man's austere personage, though her knees did trembled uncontrollably beneath the skirts of her long, formal gown. "We'd like to see him as soon as possible. Now, if it can be arranged."

"I'm afraid the Earth King had an urgent matter come up at the last minute and was unable to attend this evening," Long Feng told her, "He sends his regret, but your formal request to see him is still being processed. It is simply a matter of patience."

As he walked away, Katara's cheeks were flaming with the veiled rebuke as well as frustrated ire. "Why am I not surprised?" she grated to her circle of friends, "This entire time we've been counting on the Earth King being in attendance and he doesn't even show up!"

"Katara, calm down," Zuko soothed in a stunning role reversal, "Long Feng said our application is still being processed and I trust him."

With that single statement, loud warning bells of concern sounded, not only for Aang and Katara, but Sokka and Toph as well. Sokka rounded on Zuko suspiciously. "Since when do _you_ trust anyone?" he demanded incredulously.

"What? Is that so strange?" Zuko retorted a little defensively.

"Coming from you?" Toph snorted. "Yeah, it is!" Her gamin features contorted with a deeply pensive scowl. "You've been acting weird for days now. I was trying to ignore it, but now it's just out of hand. What's with you, Zuko?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing's 'with' me," he denied, "I'm fine!"

"No, you're not," Sokka refuted, "Usually, I try not to look a gift ostrich horse in the mouth. I've been pretty thankful you came out of your funk, because when you're in a mood it's never a good thing, but… This isn't like you at all."

"Oh, now I get it. Katara's finally gotten to you too, huh?" Zuko surmised shortly with a glower her direction. "Why do you always have to pick at everything I do?"

"I'm not picking at you," Katara denied softly, "I'm worried, Zuko. I want to help you."

"I don't need your help!" he snapped, "Now you've got everyone else on my back too!"

"Stop attacking her! This doesn't have anything to do with Katara," Aang insisted sharply, "and everything to do with _you_. I _know_ you, Zuko. You eat, sleep and breathe live this journey. Fulfilling your destiny has always been your primary focus. It's _always_ been the most important thing to you and now, it's like you don't even care."

"Aang's right," Toph piped in, "I'm all for you being happy, Moodbender, but this is beyond that. You're like…like pod Zuko. It's starting to creep me out."

"Are you guys really going to do this in the middle of a party?" Zuko hissed, aware of the guests who were milling about them impatiently, hoping for a chance to converse with the all-powerful Avatar. "You're unhappy when I'm moody and you're unhappy when I'm happy! I can't win either way!"

"This isn't about winning," Sokka said, "Something strange is going on with you. We've known it for a long time now and we can't ignore it anymore."

"Nothing strange is going on," Zuko ground out impatiently. "I'm the same as I've always been! Can we just drop it? There are people waiting to talk to me!"

"Who cares about them?" Katara burst out shortly, worry and frustration causing her temper to flare, "We're here to talk to the Earth King, not cater to a bunch of spoiled socialites who could probably care less that a war is going on in the first place! There was a time when I wouldn't have to remind you of that, Zuko!"

The admonition was harsh and unforgiving. Zuko snapped to intention as if she'd slapped him. Her words made him feel confused and oddly guilty because Zuko was sure, at one time, he would have been saying the exact same thing. For some reason, however, that had changed. His drive had fallen dormant and he couldn't figure out why. His resulting confusion over that fact, as well as his unwilling suspicion that his friends were right after all, put Zuko on the defensive.

"This is how it's going to be. I am going to enjoy myself," he informed Katara brusquely, his expression suddenly becoming devoid of warmth, "I'm going to eat and drink and make new friends. If you don't like it, there's the door. Feel free to use it."

As he walked off and was swallowed into the crowd before them, he left his friends gaping in appalled incredulity. Toph was the first to recover. She emitted a low whistle. "Well, that was certainly the Zuko I know and remember," she said, "Only he's being a jerk about the wrong thing."

"He's been weird ever since he went for that walk," Katara said. "Aang and I found out that he came to the palace that day. Lots of people saw him outside. They said he was making such a scene about getting in to the Earth King that eventually the guards took him in. But he never mentioned a word about it to us. Why do you think that is?"

"There could be plenty of reasons not sinister at all, Katara," Sokka reasoned, "He _did_ meet Long Feng that day. Maybe that's how he did. Maybe he was embarrassed to tell us what a fuss he had made about it."

"But why would he even go to the palace without us in the first place?" Aang wondered. "I thought we all agreed that talking to the Earth King was going to be a group effort."

"Don't take it personally, Admiral Sensitive. Sometimes, you just need to do stuff on your own," Toph considered, "I'm not going to give Zuko a hard time about it. _That_, at least, I can understand."

"Yeah, but understanding Zuko's inner machinations won't help us figure out how to get to Long Feng to stop jerking us around," Sokka interjected. "That's definitely what's going on here. I'm sure of it."

"What should we do then?" Katara asked her brother. "Maybe Zuko could talk to him since they seem so chummy, but he won't listen to a word we're saying."

The four teens fell into a dejected silence, feeling defeated before they'd even begun. However, only moments after the crushed feeling had settled in, Sokka was perking up again. "Wait a minute, you guys. The situation isn't hopeless. Think about where we are right now," he reminded them in a soft, conspiratorial whisper, "We're _inside_ the palace. There's nothing to stop us from leaving this party and looking for the Earth King ourselves. We can bypass Long Feng altogether."

"There's just one problem, ye ol genius," Toph deadpanned "And it would be the two burly guards situated at every exit in this room _and_ the numerous watchmen that stand beyond them. If you think Long Feng is letting us leave this room for anything other than a potty break, then you're nuts!"

"Then I guess we just have to be sneaky about it," Sokka surmised, undeterred. He glanced over at Aang, whose expression clearly stated that he was onboard with whatever the Water Tribe warrior had planned. "We've seen how accomplished you are at lying," Sokka said, sparking a proud grin from his friend, "Now let's see how good you are at acting…"

The slender knife wielder slipped quietly through the winding corridors of the sleekly constructed drill as it tunneled inexorably across the Earth Kingdom desert. Weak moonlight filtered in through the small windows situated on either side of the structure, obscured by the choking clouds of dust the mechanical monstrosity kicked up in its wake. On Azula's orders, they were moving at an incredible speed towards Ba Sing Se. Mai knew she didn't have much time.

It was after midnight. Most of the crew had already gone to bed. Those who hadn't were mainly confined to the engine and control rooms. A select few had been charged with the responsibility of patrolling the corridors and keeping on the lookout for enemy attack. And of those patrolmen, two expert Firebenders had been entrusted with the task of guarding the Avatar's bison. Mai was well aware that security around the animal would be tight. She also knew that by going through with her daring plan, there would be no turning back.

In the beginning, she had tried to be indifferent. The last time she had seen Zuko, he'd made it abundantly clear that he didn't hold a very high opinion of her. Under those circumstances, she saw no reason why she would want to stick her neck out to save his bison. It was his own fault for not keeping up with the animal in the first place! It wasn't her problem. She had too many worries of her own to contemplate taking on his as well.

Inevitably though, that reasoning had only lasted so long. After witnessing Azula's cruel hand with Zuko's pet the last few days, Mai could no longer ignore the pangs of her conscience. Sometimes it felt like Azula was going out of her way to be as heinous as possible, especially when she was present. Mai couldn't stand it anymore. She _had_ to take action. In essence, she was about to screw up her entire life and she knew it.

The Firebenders standing guard at the hatch where the bison was being held stood at attention long before Mai reached them. The one on her left didn't seem at all alarmed by her approach. The one on her right was instantly suspicious and it showed.

Despite the blood pounding in her veins and her erratically beating heart, Mai was the picture of serene confidence when she said, "I've come to inspect the bison. Princess Azula's orders."

"Do you have the Princess' seal?" the suspicious one asked.

"Are you seriously asking me for that?" Mai brazened. "You do know I'm her right hand?"

"Let her in, Chan," the more amiable guard prompted. "I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"I don't know…" Chan replied slowly.

"Either let me in or _you_ can explain to Azula why her orders weren't carried out," Mai declared in a bored tone, "It's your choice. Actually, your refusal works better for me," she continued with a broad yawn, "I can go back to bed."

"Wait!" the guard called at her back when she turned to walk away. Mai pivoted back to face him. "You can have ten minutes," Chan relented, "There's no need to disturb the Princess without cause."

"A wise choice," Mai commended as he turned to unlock the heavy metal door for her. When they both would have stayed and hovered after letting her into the cell, Mai turned to regard the Firebender guards with a chilly stare. "I don't need you to hold my hand," she said, "You may go."

"Remember, ten minutes," the guard reminded her, "Any longer than that and you're likely to get him worked up again."

After he and his companion obediently sealed her in alone with the bison, Mai fumbled along the wall to light the sconces found there. The moment the cell illuminated with the wavering orange light, an ominous growling sounded from the shadows ahead. Mai saw the eerie twin glow of Appa's eyes in the dimness before she could make out the rest of his hulking form. As she began her approach, he shrank back further into the darkness even as his eyes narrowed and his growling became more menacing.

"Don't be afraid," she soothed him gently, "I'm not going to hurt you. I think you've endured more than enough of that already." Appa snarled his disbelief, filling the cell with the heavy rattle of his chains as he struggled to his feet. "Whoa, now. I'm not your enemy. You can trust me," Mai insisted, balking inwardly over the fact she was even attempting to reason with the animal in the first place.

She wondered if she should reach out and offer him a kind touch, but she was unwilling to risk losing her hand for the attempt. If the way he was baring his teeth was any indication, he certainly wanted to take a chunk out of her. Recognizing he wasn't going to be easy to win over and wisely holding her distance because of that, Mai abruptly switched her tactics from cajolery to blunt reason.

"Listen, this is no picnic for me either," she hissed, "But I'm risking my freedom here, so it would be nice if you'd cooperate! Or would you rather stay here with your new friend Azula?"

The mention of the Fire Nation princess' name got Appa's immediate attention and his growls died down into cowed whimpers. "An understandable response," Mai deadpanned, "Azula has that effect on people." She crept closer, producing a key from inside the folds of her robe. "I'm going to help you get out of here," she promised, "but, if we want to succeed, we're going to have to work together, Appa." The bison grunted in surprise at the use of his name and Mai almost smiled at the sound. It was the beginning of a precarious bridge towards trust. "Yeah, that's right," she said, "I know your name. Zuko told me."

Finally, with the mention of Zuko, Appa lowered his guard completely and allowed Mai to move close enough to unbolt his chains. "Now, we're going to have to do this a certain way," she told him as she worked to free him, "and if we fail, it won't be pretty. So listen very carefully to what I tell you…"

Ten minutes later, Mai rapped on the heavy iron door in signal to be released. "That didn't take as long as I expected," the amiable guard remarked as he swung open the heavy metal door, "Did you find everything you needed?"

"Yes, I did," Mai replied. She opened her mouth, as if she meant to say something more than that, then suddenly gasped. "What's that right there?" When both guards quickly turned to glance in the direction she'd indicated, Mai raised the heavy coil of chains concealed in her hand and walloped the more obstinate one across the head. He silently crumpled to the ground.

Before the second one could shake off his shock and firebend at her, Mai whipped out a stream of pointed darts that snagged in a neat row down the length of his sleeves and drove him back into the adjacent wall, pinning him there and rendering him immobile. "What are you doing?" he cried in horror. "Are you crazy? The Princess will have your head!"

"If I tried to explain it, you wouldn't get it anyway," Mai sighed, quickly sidestepping the prone guard to shove a handkerchief into the conscious guard's mouth. She acknowledged his indignant mewling with a simple explanation. "Just in case you thought about screaming. I can't have that."

After lingering for a moment to ascertain the first guard was still breathing, Mai went to work at dragging his limp body into Appa's cell. Unfortunately, he felt like a leaden weight and after a few minutes of fruitless huffing and puffing, Mai had not moved him more than a few inches. She straightened with an exasperated grunt, and threw a glance over her shoulder at Appa. "You can come over here and help anytime," she invited drolly.

Obediently, the bison lumbered forward and plucked the Firebender by the collar with his teeth, dragging him back into the cell as Mai had instructed. Once that task was completed, Mai began working frenetically to bind the guard tightly in Appa's discarded chains. On the off chance that he _did_ regain consciousness before they escaped then, at least, he'd be in no position to follow them.

After the first guard was secured, Mai focused her attention on the second. Cautioning Appa to stay put a few moments longer, she crept back into the corridor with the intention of retrieving him and binding him up with his companion. However, she was horrified to discover he'd managed to work free one of his arms from the dart prison and was attempting to reach out and pull the alarm chord. Mai raised her arm to throw out a hail of subduing knives when in a dizzying, pink blur, Ty Lee flipped into view, seemingly from out of nowhere, and struck the Firebender into immobility in a matter of seconds. When it was over, he laid face first against the ground in a paralyzed heap.

Mai blinked at her friend in shock as Ty Lee bent to stuff the guard's gag back in place. "What are you doing?" she cried.

"What are _you_ doing?" Ty Lee countered, rounding on her. "Are you crazy? If Azula catches you, it's over!"

"She's not going to catch me," Mai replied. "I've got this under control. Go back, Ty Lee. There's no reason for you to be here."

"Mai, I know how you feel," Ty Lee reasoned sensitively, "It's hard to watch such a gentle, defenseless creature being treated so poorly, especially one that's so completely adorable. Frankly, I expected better of Azula. Animal cruelty is so beneath her. Still," she pressed on, her tone gaining urgency, "it's not worth risking your life over, is it?"

"That's not why I'm doing this," Mai refuted, stooping to take hold of the other guard and drag him back into Appa's cell. Without being asked, Ty Lee lent a hand, making the task much easier.

"Well, if you're not here to avert animal cruelty, why _are_ you doing this?" Yet, almost the second Ty Lee voiced the question aloud, the answer came to her. She snapped to attention with a wide smile. "I was right!" she gasped expansively with a sharp snap of her fingers, "Something _did_ happen with you and the Avatar in the cave that day!"

Mai didn't even spare her a glance, though her shoulders did stiffen. "Ty Lee, I don't have time for this," she muttered as she bound the other guard. "If you know what I'm doing, then it's only a matter of time before Azula catches wind of it and comes after me. I have to go."

"You know I won't tell," Ty Lee insisted in a hurt tone.

"It's not about you telling," Mai sighed, "It's about the fact that I know what I'm doing is going to get me in a lot of trouble, especially if I'm caught. I don't want to take you down with me."

"So you're risking all of this for him," Ty Lee surmised, obviously caught up with the romantic notion of it all. Mai said nothing, but instead focused her attention on coaxing Appa out of the shadows because Ty Lee's presence had left him unsettled. "Come on," her friend wheedled with a pout, "You can tell me, Mai! I can keep a secret." She favored her friend with an inane smile. "Are you in love with the Avatar?"

"It's nothing like that at all!" Mai snapped. "I owe him. That's all. Zuko saved my life and I owe him."

"Zuko?"

Mai had to close her eyes and mentally count to ten. "That's his name, okay!"

Ty Lee beamed. "Wow, you know his name _and_ you feel like you owe him… I definitely know this is about more than gratitude," she insisted sagely, "I think you have feelings for him, Mai!" While Mai darted a furtive look out into the corridor to make certain she could smuggle Appa outside without incident, Ty Lee gushed on behind her, "This is so wonderful! Finally, someone has managed to penetrate that cold, emotionless heart of yours!"

That was enough to incur a sardonic scowl from Mai. "Gee, thanks for that, Ty Lee."

"And your aura…" she went on in bubbly excitement, "It's not even that awful gray color anymore! It's practically _pink_! You're glowing with happiness, Mai!"

"That's not happiness, it's impatience," Mai gritted, "I'm wasting valuable time, Ty Lee!"

"Oh yeah, of course. I'll help you," her friend decided impulsively.

Mai froze in the act of leading Appa from the cell. "What?"

"I'm going to help you smuggle the Avatar's bison out of here." She nudged Mai with her elbow. "You know, he'll probably be so grateful that you saved his bison's life, he'll kiss you."

"Will you stop that?" Mai snapped, blushing in spite of her irritated tone. "You can't come with me."

"And you can't get him out of here without help," Ty Lee chirped, "So I'm coming with you."

Because she was painfully aware of the limited time frame in which she was working, Mai didn't bother to argue, though she recognized she probably should have. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ty Lee," she sighed.

"Nope, I don't," Ty Lee replied flippantly, "But I think I'm doing the right thing, so it's okay."

Unfortunately, Mai had been correct in her assumptions. As they made their flight through the narrow corridors, slowed down by Appa's girth, Mai and Ty Lee were swarmed by Firebenders. They worked together to cut down any road block in their path. Ty Lee would immobilize all comers, while Mai insured that those who were capable of movement were pinned in place. By the time they made it to the overhead hatch which opened to the roof of the drill, the alarm bells were already clanging. They weren't a bit surprised to find Azula waiting for them with a small army, standing between them and their only means of escape.

The Fire Nation princess regarded both Mai and Ty Lee with narrowed eyes, but her dangerous glare lingered in particular on Mai. "I expected such duplicity from you, Mai," she began in a silken tone, "I've suspected you were betraying me for some time now." When Mai didn't so much as flinch in reaction to that revelation, Azula barked, "Just tell me why! You knew the consequences! Why would you do it?" Once again, Mai didn't answer, but Azula didn't need her to because she already suspected that Mai didn't understand her own reasons, which made her betrayal all the worse in Azula's eyes.

She turned her glacial stare towards Ty Lee. "And you," she spat in revulsion, "I never imagined that you would stab me in the back too. I had half suspected Mai, because she was never truly my friend in the first place. But you were different. _You_ were mine and now you've become no different from the rest of them!"

"I didn't want it to be this way, Azula!" Ty Lee cried, "Why did you have to make me choose?"

"If there was a choice to be made, you should have chosen me," Azula countered coldly, raising her arm.

When she would have drawn back her arm to strike Ty Lee down, Mai reacted instinctively and launched out a spinning dagger that sliced Azula across the wrist, aborting her attack on Ty Lee. Azula drew her disbelieving gaze from the ribbon of blood welling up across her flesh to Mai's resolute features. "I'm going to make you suffer for that," she promised calmly. "Guards! Seize them!"

Everything exploded in a haze that seemed to fly by in a dizzying blur of movement. Mai yelled out for Appa to run while Ty Lee flipped into action, ducking fierce blasts of fire to land exacting jabs to her opponents' arms and shoulders and chests. Mai held her own as well, knocking countless Firebenders aside with the help of her shurikens in hopes of clearing a path for Appa's escape. The ten ton bison wound his way through the melee, cringing and shrinking back from the excessive blaze of fire crisscrossing the tight confines. But when he crossed paths with Azula, he stopped completely.

"You're not going anywhere," she stated implacably, "Are you, beast?"

"Appa…go now!" Mai screamed, darting her way out from underneath a Firebender's attack in order to get to Appa.

Azula cast a ring of blue fire around the mighty beast, shrinking it in fractional intervals so that the searing heat radiated closer and closer to Appa's fur. "You want to get out of here," Azula taunted, "You're going to have to cross the fire first."

Appa mewled and just as Mai started to launch herself at Azula in growling attack, Ty Lee sprang forward and caught Azula unawares with a series of jabs. The fire ring winked out and the princess crumpled to the ground. Everyone froze in the wake of that horrific act, but none where more horrified than Ty Lee.

"Don't just stand there, you imbeciles!" Azula ground out from her crumpled position on the floor, "Seize them both! I want them in chains!"

"Mai, this is your chance!" Ty Lee cried as the barrage of fire began anew, "Take Appa and get out of here now!"

"But what about you?" Mai cried as she scrambled up onto Appa's back to unhook the overhead hatch and reveal the twinkling night sky.

Ty Lee was already springing to meet their attackers head on when her reply reached Mai's ears. "Just go! Don't look back!"

Realizing she couldn't afford to hesitate, Mai did as she was told. She got a good grip on Appa's back and told him in rather succinct terms to get them out of there. Below her she could hear the whoosh and hiss of fireballs, feel the searing heat as they sailed past her and Appa as the majestic bison took flight through the large exit in the drill's ceiling. Mai buried her face into his thick fur and held on for dear life. Azula's chilling rants of outrage followed her into the night, echoing in her ears long after the fire blasts had fallen silent.

Back inside the drill, Ty Lee was, at last, subdued and bound. Afterwards, she was thrown before a supported Azula. The Fire Nation princess glared down at her former friend in unconcealed revulsion and hatred. "Where is she going?" Azula demanded shortly, "Tell me now and I'll consider sparing your life!"

"I don't know," Ty Lee sobbed, "She never told me, Azula!"

"As if you would tell me if she had," Azula sneered, "I don't need your help. Mai is nothing if not tediously predictable." She flicked a glance to the guard on her right. "She'll go to Ba Sing Se and warn them of our attack. Tell the Captain that we need to move double-speed!"

"Yes, princess."

After that guard darted off to fulfill her order and another wordlessly and obediently took his place at Azula's side, the new guard asked, "What should be done with the prisoner, Princess?"

"Take her to the prison hold and leave her there," Azula ordered, her malignant gaze trained on Ty Lee the entire time. "When I'm recovered, I intend to deal with her _personally_."


	38. Chapter Thirty Seven

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick!"

Aang clutched his stomach and collapsed to the floor with an exaggerated groan. He had deliberately positioned himself near the buffet table so that his actions would garner swift attention and concern. And they did.

As a small circle of guests began to gather around him worriedly, Sokka, Katara and Toph took advantage of the diversion he created to casually inch their way towards the exit. Aang caught sight of their efforts in his peripheral vision and increased his anguished moans. Soon, his affected cries of pain became louder than the live music being played and it wasn't very long before the entire banquet ground to a total halt. Musicians abandoned their instruments. Servants left off serving. And guards from all corners of the room gradually began to drift away from their posts for a closer look.

Seizing the opportunity presented to them, Sokka, Katara and Toph made a mad dash for the nearest exit. No one noticed them at all. They could have easily made a clean getaway with no one being the wiser. Yet, at the ornate archway leading out into the palace's main corridor, Katara hesitated, throwing a worried glance over her shoulder over towards the growing crowd.

"I don't know, Sokka… Maybe we should stay," she fretted indecisively.

"What are you talking about? Katara, this might be our only opportunity to talk to the Earth King," Sokka reasoned urgently, "I know you don't like going behind Zuko's back, but he hasn't left us with much choice."

"It's not that," she replied, eyes still trained on the large spectacle Aang was making, her ears ringing with his loud mewls of pain. An unconscious scowl of concern darkened her features. "What if Aang's not faking it? I don't know if we should leave him. He sounds really awful right now…"

Toph hooked her by the arm and forcefully dragged her from the room, exasperation detectable even in her sightless stare. "Oh good grief, Sugar Queen! He's faking it! Trust me. Now move your butt!"

Sokka flicked the scene with one, last admiring glance before following after them. "Why didn't I know he was this good a while ago…oh, the wasted opportunities," he lamented to himself.

Long Feng elbowed his way through the dense crowd with an impatient huff. Zuko zipped closely behind him, impeded in his advance by fawning guests and questions he couldn't possibly answer. While he was waylaid though, Long Feng made swift progress to the center of the controversy. Moments later, the king's advisor was greeted with the sight of Aang writhing on the floor in apparent agony. However, the scene provoked little more than irritation from Long Feng. He was unmoved, too preoccupied with the great tides of humiliation coursing through his body and the complete ruination of his banquet to care about Aang's distress and it showed in his next words.

"Young man!" he snapped, "What is the meaning of this unsightly behavior? Get up this instant!"

"Tainted meat," Aang groaned, still rolling about on the floor with his knees drawn tightly to his chest in a fetal position, "I've eaten tainted meat! Ooooh, the pain…_the_ _gut-wrenching_ _pain_!" While Long Feng was visibly skeptical concerning the claim, his guests didn't take much convincing. A chorus of disgusted gasps sounded from the crowd and quite a few guests hastily set aside their plates at the implication of spoiled food.

More aggravated by their nauseated responses than concerned, Long Feng spat, "That's absurd! There's nothing wrong with the meat. It's the finest in all of Ba Sing Se!" To prove his point, he plucked a morsel from a nearby tray and popped it into his mouth. Long Feng gave an exaggerated shiver of delight as he chewed the meat and swallowed. "You see?" he expressed to the revolted crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, all of the food being served here tonight is of the highest quality."

As if to dispute that, Aang groaned again, much louder than ever before. He even gagged for effect, which provoked yet another stunned gasp from the crowd. In one united throng, they took a simultaneous step backwards, half expecting him to spew on them at any moment. Aang had a difficult time keeping his hysterical laughter at bay.

Sensing that, Long Feng fixed Aang with a narrowed glare before turning to address his apprehensive guests with a forced smile. Though, he urged them to return to the festivities with wine and merriment, not a single person budged from their spots. Some even expressed their desire to leave as they were beginning to feel ill as well. Exasperated, Long Feng whipped back to face Aang with an exasperated sneer.

"Get up, you fool!" he hissed at the prone boy, "You can't be in as much pain as that!"

Feeling challenged, Aang emitted a pitiable moan and clutched at his belly. "Ugh…it feels like I've eaten broken glass. My fingers are tingling," he gasped on dramatically, "I can't feel my toes…what day is it?" At that point, the crowd began to buzz with a loud murmuring and several blustering demands for a physician were made.

Though Long Feng obligingly knelt at Aang's side in a seeming intention to offer assistance, his words to Aang were anything but comforting. "Listen to me, you little brat," he grated behind his teeth as he made a show of attending to Aang, "You had better be on your deathbed right now! There are many wealthy and very important diplomats attending this banquet tonight and if you ruin things for me, if whatever is ailing you _doesn't_ kill you, then I will."

Zuko finally managed to push his way through the crush of guests at that precise moment and what he found made him stop short and gape. Aang was rolling about on the floor like a deranged otter-hound while Long Feng apparently tried to calm him though he looked more like he wanted to throttle Aang than offer assistance. The two were surrounded by green-faced guests who appeared on the verge of collapse themselves. Others furtively sniffed at their plates. Zuko didn't know whether he should laugh, which was his first inclination, or be seriously concerned.

He decided to go with the latter even as he was choking on the former. "Aang! What are you doing? Why are you on the floor?"

"Zuko…my friend…" Aang rasped dramatically, beckoning Zuko over, "Come closer…" He feigned a coughing fit, which galvanized the crowd with demands for a physician right away. The insistence irritated Long Feng even further because he was almost certain the boy was faking his malady, but for what reason he wasn't quite sure. Yet, in spite of his doubt and growing annoyance, he yielded to the pressure and dispatched one of his agents to find a healer.

Meanwhile, Zuko folded down beside Aang and assisted his friend into an upright position. "What did you do to yourself?"

"Oh Zuko," Aang moaned, aware that Long Feng was hanging on his every word, "It must have been something I had for dinner. My stomach hurts from _all_ _the_ _meat I ate_."

He emphasized the last bit of that and leveled Zuko with a meaningful look, hoping his friend would pick up on the subtle incongruity in the claim. While Aang was hardly a vegetarian like Zuko, he certainly wasn't a full blown meat connoisseur like Sokka either. If anyone would have overdosed on such a thing, it would have been their Water Tribe companion. Aang hoped that fact would ring some bells for Zuko and alert him that there was more going on than meets the eye, but the young Avatar remained oblivious and failed to register the hint at all. Aang groaned again, but this time from sheer frustration.

"So what did you eat?" Zuko asked him.

Aang decided to try again, taking a different tactic by being more specific. "Eh…a little pheasant, a bit of quail, some roasted duck, stuffed pigeon with apples, braised lamb with leeks and onions…oh and handful of pork skewers…oh, and some cheese."

"Yuck," Zuko replied, rearing back in distaste, "You ate all that? No wonder you feel so horrible. That sounds disgusting!" He obligingly hooked Aang's arm about his neck, ignoring Aang's subtle overtures for him to move closer, and assisted his protesting friend to his feet. Once they were standing, Aang couldn't whisper the truth of the situation to Zuko at all because Long Feng was practically glaring them down. However, mere seconds later, it stopped mattering entirely.

"Where are the others?" Zuko wondered as he steadied Aang on his feet, frowning when it finally dawned on him that Aang was alone. "Didn't they know you were sick? Why did they just leave you this way?"

"That's an excellent question," Long Feng asked, his eyes suddenly narrowed with suspicion as he too became aware of the teens' conspicuous absence. He speared Aang with a daggered glower. "_Where_ are your friends?"

Sokka, Katara and Toph rushed through the winding corridors of the Earth King's palace, randomly throwing open the various doors they passed in hopes of locating the elusive Earth King. They had intruded upon several nobles and one half naked woman, which had earned Sokka some indignant swats to the head before he was able to back out safely into the corridor and slam the door behind him. And, though they had met with relatively little opposition during their frantic search, Sokka knew that wouldn't stand for very much longer. Eventually, the commotion they were causing was going to draw some attention and their chance to sit down with the Earth King would be lost.

"Toph, we need to know which way!" he said, "We can't keep doing this! That last door almost got me killed!"

"Why are you asking me?" Toph snapped irritably, "What am I? A walking map? This is my first time being here too, you know!"

"But you're the one that can see through walls!" Sokka volleyed back. "That would come in handy right about now!"

"Yeah, I can see through walls," she acknowledged, "But I can only tell you _where_ the people are, not _who_ the people are! Unless the Earth King is wearing a homing beacon, we're still flying blind here! No pun intended."

Sokka's snappy retort to that was swallowed when suddenly half a dozen men in black robes dropped silently from the ceiling above and surrounded them. He flicked Toph a dry, expectant look. "Well, do you think you can do something about this then?"

Aang suddenly popped to attention. He didn't need to contemplate the suspicion darkening Long Feng's features very long. He knew immediately that it was time to leave.

"What do you know?" he espoused in a rejuvenated tone, suddenly straightening, "The pain has completely disappeared! I feel so much better now. There's something to be said about the curative powers of friendship." He bowed respectfully to Long Feng and his guests, furtively catching hold of a confused Zuko's wrist as he did so that he could drag his friend along with him as he made a careful, backwards retreat towards the nearest exit. "My apologies for ruining your evening," he rambled on, "It's been lovely and I hope we can do this again sometime." However, when he pivoted to run, Aang collided with a wall of Dai Li agents. A darting glance about the ballroom revealed that they were blocking every available exit in the room.

Recognizing he and Zuko were trapped, Aang turned back to face Long Feng with an exasperated sigh. "We'd like to leave now, please," he informed the Earth King's advisor calmly.

"You haven't answered my question. Where are your friends?" Long Feng reiterated tightly. "You will not be permitted to leave until I have some answers!"

"They could be any number of places…my friends like to get around," Aang brazened, "Besides, I was sick, remember? Maybe they went to get me some medicine. Actually, I think that's _exactly_ where they went."

While his blatant lie might have been enough to give Long Feng pause, Zuko was now well aware that something more was going on. Aang's fidgety behavior was impossible to ignore. "Aang, what aren't you telling me?" he asked in a hissed aside, "_Where_ are they?"

As Aang was whispering to Zuko to trust him and reassuring him that matters were under control, Long Feng was busy taking matters in control for himself. After dispatching orders to have the area scoured for the three missing teens, he regarded Aang with a penetrating stare. "For the record, I don't believe a word out of your mouth," he stated icily, "Furthermore, I'm not entirely certain you are who you claim to be."

"That's absurd," Zuko dismissed. "Who do you think he is?"

"A Fire Nation spy!"

"He travels with _me_," Zuko exploded shortly, as if that should be explanation enough, "Do you really think I'd be friends with a Fire Nation spy?"

"The company you keep doesn't necessarily place you in high regard, Avatar," Long Feng sniffed disdainfully, "Frankly, I'm beginning to question your judgment and ability to fulfill your duties."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that your friend's disruptive insolence will no longer be tolerated," he stated implacably. "Ba Sing Se is a peaceful and orderly haven. I will not have it corrupted by radicals and rebels."

"You think Aang's a radical?" Zuko snorted, "Obviously, you don't know him well at all. Yeah, he makes trouble sometimes, but never on purpose."

"I think it is _you_ who do not know him very well," Long Feng countered. He scraped Aang with a haughty once-over. "Whether the trouble he causes is inadvertent or not, it will not be tolerated here! Dai Li, take him now!" However, as the Dai Li moved forward to take Aang into custody, Zuko stepped between them with a warning scowl and threw up his hand to stave off their advance. "Stop right there! What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, bouncing a startled look between Long Feng and the Dai Li.

"Your friend is under arrest, Avatar," Long Feng informed him flatly.

Once again, Zuko blocked the Dai Li's attempt to take Aang. "You're arresting him? For what?" he balked, half incredulous, half irritated, "Having a stomachache? That's insane!"

Long Feng scoffed. "He caused a deliberate scene for the sole purpose of diverting my guards so his friends could sneak away from the banquet," he accused tightly. "I'm sure such an elaborate scheme was staged for a reason and I want to know what that reason is. This young man has proven himself to be manipulative and unruly and he must be dealt with swiftly and harshly."

"I told you my friends went to buy medicine," Aang insisted, "You're going to feel silly sealing off the palace exits when you find out they're already gone."

"Shush up," Zuko hissed to him in an under-breath, "you're not helping matters!" He turned a reasoning look towards Long Feng. "Long Feng, you can't prove that my friend did anything _deliberately_ at all," he argued, "and I'm certain he didn't. I'll vouch for him."

"That is not enough," Long Feng replied.

"It'll have to be," Zuko retorted, "I won't let you arrest him! Let me find the rest of my friends and the five of us can leave without any incident."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Avatar," Long Feng disputed calmly.

Acting on his unspoken orders, the Dai Li pushed Zuko aside and closed in around Aang. As they converged to take hold of his struggling friend, Zuko was suddenly assailed with the strangest sense of déjà vu. It hit him so hard and so unexpectedly that he actually stumbled as the feeling overwhelmed him. The entire scene struck him as incredibly familiar. This wasn't the first time he'd witnessed the Dai Li's cool efficiency and gliding stealth when carrying out Long Feng's orders. This scene, this moment had happened before…only not to Aang. It had happened to _him_.

Without warning, the memory of it all began to assail Zuko in fragmented images, flashing through his brain in a disjointed jumble. The pictures bombarded him one after the other, blinding him with their sudden onslaught. In his mind's eye, he could see a pulsing green light rotating before him. Resolved words, soft and seductive…_there is no war within the walls. There is no pain. There is no grief. In Ba Sing Se, we are happy. In Ba Sing Se, we are free._

He had been susceptible to the manipulation because part of Zuko had wanted it to be true. Part of him had needed to forget and that's what he had done. He had forgotten the grief and self-loathing that had been plaguing him almost from the moment he'd awakened from the iceberg. He'd forgotten the pain of losing Appa. He'd forgotten about the blood that stained his hands and crippled his soul. He forgotten he was unhappy…and for a while, it was good, even if it had been a lie.

Now all of those things came rushing back at Zuko along with the truth and somehow the pain was harder to bear a second time. It felt newer, fresher and infinitely more acute. Inevitably, the emotions brought with them more turmoil…rage and frustration, especially when he thought about how his feelings had been toyed with so casually and remorselessly.

As the magnitude of Long Feng's treacherous actions dawned fully on Zuko, he turned disbelieving eyes, _opened_ eyes, up towards the Earth King's advisor. "I know…" he whispered, half dazed, half indignant, "I know what you did to me."

Long Feng only gave a cursory response in between relaying instructions for Aang's detainment. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Zuko grabbed hold of his arm, forcing Long Feng to face him when he accused in a louder, stronger tone, "I know what you did to me, Long Feng. I remember _all_ of it…and now it's over."

Solid fists of sturdy rock flew at them from all directions. Toph, Sokka and Katara dove apart, sectioning off their attackers in their counterattacks. Katara slashed through the fist shaped earth with jetting ribbons of water while Sokka swung his club left and right, smashing the incoming missiles to pieces. Toph bent out a jutting cylinder of rock that knocked back their attackers while simultaneously elevating herself and her friends up onto a platform of earth and out from beneath the second wave. The corridor filled with the choking mist of breaking earth as Toph, Katara and Sokka fought to maintain their freedom.

Unfortunately, for every attack they avoided, they would find themselves swamped with two more. Toph did her best to slow down the enemy's gliding advance, bending herself, Sokka and Katara up and down, in and out on giant columns of rock while Sokka and Katara did what they could to stave off the Dai Li's advance. The ground soon became an uneven mire, bogging down each sides' attempt to gain the upper hand. Toph did what she could to keep the enemy at bay, from erecting large walls of earth as shields, to earth spiking all comers airborne.

However, the Dai Li were a formulated group. They moved almost as one entity. For each successful blow, the responding attack from them was even stronger. Worse still, the more Dai Li she subdued, still more would swarm in to replace them. Toph had the idea that, if she could just gather Sokka and Katara close enough, she'd be able to bend them all to the safety of the gardens she knew were just outside the walls where they fought. Afterwards, they could make a mad dash for Zuko and Aang and get out of there.

Her attackers made it impossible to execute that plan. They kept coming in waves, causing constant divides between her and her friends, so that she was never able to get close to Katara and Sokka. Very soon, defending themselves stopped being an issue for the teens. They merely wanted to escape. Dai Li agents filed into the large corridor like ants, taking positions at various points in the room, effectively surrounding the three teens. They were plainly outnumbered and Toph didn't need her sight to know that.

"What are we going to do?" Katara cried, "There are too many of them!"

No sooner had she voiced the words than a rock hand slammed into Sokka's back, grasping hold of his shirt and yanking him backwards. Katara screamed, but before she could react, the same thing happened to her. Toph quickly crumbled the hold on them, only to find herself locked at the ankles in earth for her effort. She bent herself free, pitching past Dai Li agents in an acrobatic dance of evasion, launching herself forward on springboards of rock. With each landing she made, she could sense through the ground vibrations that more Dai Li had arrived.

Left with few options, Toph made a running dive for Sokka and Katara, hoping to tackle them both and bend them all out of there. Seconds before she reached them, however, her body was wrapped from shoulders to ankles in tight, winding chains that seemed to materialize out of thin air. She hit the ground with a heavy, muted thud. Toph's last clear mental image before her "vision" went impossibly fuzzy was of her friends sharing a similar fate.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Zuko flared, defiantly bending Aang free of his earthen bonds. "I'm not going to let you do to him what you did to me!" He leveled Long Feng with an accusing finger. "You tried to brainwash me!"

By that point, any semblance of festivities had long since faded. Most of the guests had already gone, but not before being detained by the Dai Li. Those that remained had been compelled to do so by the dramatic turn of events, wanting to see for themselves how matters played out. They had no way of knowing that the evening would not even be a memory for them in a few short hours. However, at that present moment, pandemonium threatened and Long Feng knew he had to take decisive action to contain it. The urgency of the situation reasserted itself for Long Feng when a stunned gasp erupted from the guests at Zuko's accusation. He knew it was time to clear the room and correct matters.

"What a preposterous allegation!" Long Feng scoffed in response, even as he furtively signaled for his agents to reroute the guests so that the ballroom was emptied of all possible witnesses. "This child is obviously delusional."

"Don't call me a child," Zuko spat out darkly, "And don't try to weasel your way out of this! I know exactly what you've done!"

Long Feng flittered his hand indifferently. "Your ploy won't work, Avatar," he said for the benefit of the guest that had yet to be vacated, "These wild accusations are a blatant attempt to keep your friend from being arrested!"

"I'm not making wild accusations! I remember everything your agents did to me…on _your_ orders!" Zuko maintained.

Now it was Aang's turn to be confused and uncertain. He nudged his friend. "Zuko?" he questioned carefully, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

"He has a secret headquarters under a lake!" Zuko revealed, his steely glare fixed on Long Feng as he spoke. "That day I went for a walk, I came to the palace. Long Feng didn't want me to see the Earth King so he had me taken there…to _Lake_ _Laogai_. Katara said I was acting strangely and she was right! Long Feng had me brainwashed! He has an entire facility dedicated to it, Aang! It wasn't just me down there! He has this whole city fooled!"

"What a fanciful imagination you have, Avatar," Long Feng laughed, "You could be an excellent storyteller."

Aang regarded Long Feng in open disgust. "What kind of person are you?" he hissed in disbelief, "Does the Earth King have any idea how corrupt you are?"

"I doubt it," Zuko considered stiffly, "Otherwise, he never would have gone to such lengths to keep us away!"

"Well, that's over now! You won't get away with what you've done," Aang told Long Feng, "We won't allow it!"

If Aang had expected Long Feng to be intimidated as a result of the threat, he was sorely disappointed. "You won't allow it?" Long Feng scoffed in amusement. "My boy, I have been in control of Ba Sing Se longer than you have been alive. This is _my_ city. Whatever happens in Ba Sing Se is at _my_ behest and mine only!"

"So the King is just a figurehead," Aang surmised in disappointment.

"He's your puppet!" Zuko accused fiercely, "He's just as much a victim to you as everyone else in this city! You will not get away with this any longer! As Avatar, I am relieving you from your duties and placing you under arrest, effective immediately! Dai Li, take _him_ into custody!"

Not surprisingly, however, the Dai Li did not carry out the order. Some did look indecisive over whether they should stand with Long Feng or not but, for the most part, they remained loyal to the corrupt advisor. As far as they were concerned, the bulk of power still remained with Long Feng and, likewise, so would they.

Still, the wavering among their ranks was a significant thing, even in its subtlety. Long Feng, however, was too blinded by his own hubris to note the ripple of uncertainty among their ranks. He took their loyalty for granted, never recognizing that it was wholly conditional. As far as he was concerned, his position of power was only reinforced with their refusal.

He sneered at Zuko victoriously. "You still do not understand how things work here, do you, Avatar?" he taunted. "You have no authority here. No more than our so called _king_. _I_ am the law. _I_ am the final word in everything and you have overstayed your welcome."

When the Dai Li moved forward, Zuko was ready. He bounded backwards on a current of air, escaping the grasping tentacles of the chains concealed in their sleeves, and flipping onto the hanging rafters overhead. Pursuing Dai Li found themselves swept back in a forceful gale of wind that sent them tumbling back into an adjacent wall. Zuko further thwarted their recovery by freezing them there with a rigid band of ice.

After it was over, Zuko floated back to the ground to regard Long Feng with dispassionate eyes. "Be sure you want to do this," Zuko warned him. "I was taken by surprise the first time. That won't happen again."

"You are painfully outnumbered, Avatar," Long Feng informed him, flicking a nod to the newly arrived guards and Dai Li agents. "Surrender is your best and only option."

"I'll take my chances," Zuko threw back tersely.

Rather than shaking Long Feng's confidence, however, Zuko's resolved rejoinder seemed to strengthen the Earthbender's arrogance. "Avatar…" he purred in an almost soothing tone, "…the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

The words had a dizzying effect on Zuko. His blood whooshed stiffly in his ears. Suddenly, the lines of reality blurred for him once more and, in that moment, he couldn't quite remember what he was fighting or why. It was as if he were sinking into thick, warm goo…willingly drowning. The urgency of the situation seemed to diminish as did his anger. There was no war in Ba Sing Se, his mind whispered seductively, but a different truth altogether hammered in his heart.

He had to remember. He was the last Airbender, all that was left of his culture. He was the Avatar, with a sworn duty to protect the world. Denial of a war was impossible as long as those facts remained irrefutable. Zuko remembered the hurt and pain and sacrifice and grief he'd endured just to make it to that point. It couldn't be for nothing. His people could not have died for nothing. _Appa_ could not have died for nothing. He wouldn't allow that to be true. He wouldn't allow Long Feng to manipulate him so that the loss of them no longer mattered.

Shaking off the last, grasping tentacles of foggy confusion, Zuko fixed Long Feng with a determined glower. "It's not going to work, Long Feng," he spat at the advisor. "I'm going to the Earth King and I'm going to tell him all that you've done here! Your days of ruling this city are done."

"That will _never_ happen!"

The slicing shaft of earth Long Feng sent hurtling towards him was suddenly engulfed in flames by a cracking wall of fire that surrounded the Avatar and his friend like a protective cylinder. Long Feng became positively apoplectic over the display, falling back from the fierce blaze with shock widened eyes. "He's a Firebender!" he spat in stupefied horror, "A _Firebender_ within the walls of Ba Sing Se! Dai Li, seize him! Seize them both now!"

When the roaring flames were efficiently stomped out by large pillars of swiping earth, Aang and Zuko were prepared. Aang provided a steady cover of billowing flames while Zuko sliced through the dizzying bevy of earthen attacks, alternating between counterattacks of water, earth and air. They worked back to back, cutting an inching path through their opposition towards the closest exit. The room became filled with the sounds of crackling and crunching, of thudding earth and sizzling jets of lightning. In gradual turns the elegant ballroom was slowly demolished and became littered with tiny, isolated fires.

Before long it became evident to Long Feng that he was going to have difficulty subduing the Avatar and his firebending friend. The Avatar was skilled and efficient as was his companion. Likely most of the palace would be destroyed in the attempt to arrest them, but the alternative was simply unacceptable to Long Feng. He could not let them go. If they got loose in the city or if they reached the Earth King then they would destroy what had taken him half his life to build. That could not occur. If the palace had to burn…then so be it.

For a certainty it would have come to that as well had Long Feng not received some news that turned the tide of the battle altogether. Abruptly, he ordered his men to stand down, stunning Aang and Zuko into immobility with his unanticipated retreat. Both young men regarded him warily.

"Let us end this now, Avatar! I'm afraid you won't get very far," Long Feng called out to them, "You see…I have something you want."

"I doubt it!" Zuko scoffed.

"Don't be so sure," Long Feng challenged calmly as he directed a consenting nod towards one of his agents. Seconds later, their friends, bound and struggling, were dragged into view. The color instantly drained from Zuko and Aang's faces and Long Feng's smile broadened as he witnessed their unconcealed dismay. "Now that I have your attention," he began smugly, "I will expect your immediate surrender."

"Let them go!" Zuko snapped, "It's me that you want!"

"No. You are in no position to bargain!" Long Feng bit out. "Surrender now! Your friends will not be harmed if you do so quietly. If not…" He gave a subtle turn of his wrist, bending Katara beneath the surface of the ground in a twisting motion so that she disappeared entirely. Ignoring the resultant cries of fury and fear over that, Long Feng said, "I can't be responsible for what happens…"

Zuko and Aang's running attack lasted as long as it took to lock them up to the knees in earth. The moment Zuko bent himself free in an attempt to regroup, however, Long Feng snagged hold of Sokka and held the glistening tip of a dagger to the boy's throat. Sokka swallowed down his squeal of protest, but fear was plainly etched into his features. "Must I teach you another lesson, Avatar?" Long Feng threatened smoothly.

"NO! Okay…okay!" Zuko conceded quickly. "I'll do what you want! I'll surrender! Just don't hurt my friends!"

"As you wish," Long Feng complied, lowering the dagger from Sokka's throat, but not releasing him. A moment later, Katara resurfaced, coughing and gasping for breath, but otherwise unharmed. Zuko and Aang glared at Long Feng with unconcealed hatred as they were chained in the same manner their friends had been. "Take the two girls and the boy to the holding cells beneath the palace. I will figure out what to do with them later," he ordered his men, "As for the Avatar and his firebending friend; I have a special place designated for them. Tomorrow morning, they will both face judgment for their crimes!"

"You won't get away with this!" Zuko spat as they were dragged away.

"Of course, I will," Long Feng replied serenely, "I already have."

"Long Feng, sir?"

At the tentative nudge from his second-in-command, Long Feng opened his eyes. "This had better be urgent for you to disturb me in my bedchamber in the middle of the night," he warned his underling.

"A situation has come up that must be addressed immediately," his agent told him.

Instantly, Long Feng swung upright in bed, completely awake. "What has happened? Is it the Avatar?"

"The Avatar is secured just as you requested," the agent said. "However, a young woman just arrived at the palace a few moments ago. She insists on seeing the Earth King. She says she has information vital to his survival."

Long Feng briefly slumped with relief only to stiffen one second later with annoyed impatience. "You woke me for this?" he snapped curtly, "How many people insist on seeing the Earth King on a daily basis? Each one's reasons is always more important than the last one's. That is hardly urgent news!"

"I haven't told you the rest of it," the agent continued direly, "This girl is Fire Nation…" As Long Feng's eyes widened with interested disbelief, he added, "…and not only that…she's traveling with the Avatar's bison."


	39. Chapter Thirty Eight

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

Iroh rapped on the apartment door again, frowning to himself and growing increasingly frustrated when he didn't receive an answer. He tipped a furtive peek through the open window, noting the obvious lack of activity within. He called out Aang's name hopefully, though he wasn't surprised when there was no response.

"They never came home."

That sudden bit of commentary had Iroh lurching around in startled surprise. At first, he was unable to discern where the voice had come from at all but then he noticed that the door to the apartment across the street was slightly ajar. "Excuse me, sir?" Iroh said as he began closing the distance, "Were you speaking to me a moment ago?"

The neighbor bobbed his head in a terse nod, peering at Iroh through the tiny opening. Only his left eye and arm were visible. What was visible of his face was tight with unconcealed wariness. "You're looking for those kids, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm looking for my nephew," Iroh confirmed, "He lives in the apartment across the road with his friends."

"Your nephew's the Avatar?" the man gawked.

Iroh bit back a smile. "My nephew is _friends_ with the Avatar. Last night, he attended a party at the palace. He was supposed to come by my teashop afterwards, but he never showed up. That is not like him."

"The palace?" the man echoed in dismay, "Well, that's not good at all!"

"Why would you say that?"

"It's like I already told you, they never came back home last night," the man reiterated furtively as Iroh leaned in closer. "And now I'm hearing that they were at the palace and the activity from last night and this morning makes sense…"

"What activity?"

The neighbor suddenly clamped his mouth shut, as if belatedly realizing that he'd said too much. "No…no," the man rambled, backing up from the door slightly, "I don't know if I should get involved in this at all. I was only approved for this house two weeks ago and I'd like to keep it."

"Sir, my nephew is missing. If you know where he is, you must tell me," Iroh implored.

"I don't know where he is. I've never spoken to the Avatar or your nephew at all," the man replied between darting looks, "But I know when they're here and when they're not. Goodness knows they make enough noise when they're around!"

"But you said there was some activity last night," Iroh pressed, "If it wasn't my nephew and his friends, who was it?"

After several surreptitious glances and a deep fortifying breath, the man leaned in and revealed in a hushed whisper, "The Dai Li. The Dai Li were here. They scoured that apartment from top to bottom." He quickly straightened and then added, "But you never heard that from me!"

Prickles of alarm danced down Iroh's back. "I don't understand. Why would the Dai Li want to search the apartment? It was given to them by the Grand Secretary himself."

"I couldn't tell you," the neighbor replied quickly, "Who knows why the Dai Li do what they do? Just between you and me, Long Feng, the Grand Secretary…he turns on a coin. One day you're on his good side and the next you don't know what happened. I wouldn't trust the man as far as I could throw him. But you didn't hear that from me," he rushed to tack on. However, when he saw that Iroh was only half paying attention to what he was saying, the neighbor's apprehension slowly increased because it was evident his neighbor's uncle was extremely worried…which worried him. He regarded the former Fire Nation general with fear-widened eyes. "What would the Dai Li want with your nephew in the first place?" he wondered, "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

_All of his life_, Iroh replied mentally, but aloud he said, "My nephew is a good boy. I am sure this has been some kind of misunderstanding."

"There are no misunderstandings when it comes to Long Feng and the Dai Li," the neighbor informed him darkly.

"There must be," Iroh mumbled more to himself than to the neighbor, "It makes no sense. What good are a fifteen year old boy and his friends to the Dai Li?" The possibility that they had somehow learned Aang's true identity flittered through Iroh's mind, causing his heart to seize with panic. If the truth became known that Aang was a Firebender, he and all who were with him were likely to be arrested. The more Iroh considered the possibility, the more certain he became that Aang had been discovered.

"Tell me everything you saw!" he pressed the neighbor urgently.

"I already have," the man insisted brusquely, "If you want to know what happened to him, go directly to Long Feng and ask him. I don't want to be involved in anything else!"

"Wait, sir!" Iroh cried as the man started to close the door, "Can you tell me what they were looking for? Do you know that much?"

"Like I said, I don't know and I don't want to know," the neighbor said, "I'm sorry. I can't help you anymore. I hope you find your nephew."

"This isn't your fault."

From within the confines of his metal cage, Zuko flicked Aang with a sour glance. That Aang could say that to him when he was currently locked into a rectangular shaped box and chained into immobility struck Zuko as being utterly ridiculous. _Nothing_ about their present situation called for cheerful optimism.

Shortly after being taken into custody, he and Aang were split off from their friends as Long Feng had reserved a "special place" for them. While Sokka, Katara and Toph had been sent to the royal prison to await their sentencing, Aang and Zuko were taken someplace else entirely. After blindfolding and gagging them both, their guards had led the two young men on a winding journey that had seemed endless, through craggy pathways and drafty, open spaces. When they finally reached their destination, Zuko and Aang were promptly fitted with metal shackles around their ankles and wrists. Only then had their blindfolds been removed.

For added precaution, Zuko had been wrapped in a thick cable of metal chains; effectively binding his arms and legs so that he could not bend. Afterwards, he was thrown into an oblong shaped cage made of thick steel. Long Feng wanted to ensure that escape was impossible and, if not that, at least as difficult as possible.

There was a single window placed in the façade of the cage, which was fitted with thick metal bars only an inch apart. After he was locked inside, he and Aang had been lowered into what Zuko could only describe as a jeweled pit. They had been left there, sealed inside a chamber of sparkling, green crystals, and apparently forgotten.

Time ceased to exist in the cavern and Aang and Zuko passed their time alternately railing against Long Feng and searching for escape. Given those grim circumstances, Zuko couldn't help but snort his incredulity over Aang's statement. "How can you say that?" he exclaimed fervidly, "If it's not my fault, then whose is it?"

"Long Feng manipulated you," Aang reminded him. "You can't blame yourself, Zuko." He circled the dim interior of the cave slowly, skimming his fingers over the luminous walls in search of an exit as he had done for most of their time in the hole. "There has to be a way out of here…" he muttered to himself.

"Yeah, there is," Zuko agreed, "Earthbending…which I could possibly _do_ if I weren't wrapped in chains from the waist up."

Aang tossed a glance back at him. "I'll find a way to get you out of there."

"Don't bother," came Zuko's snorting reply, "Face it, Aang. We're stuck down here and we're not getting out until the Dai Li let us out…_if_ they even plan to do that at all."

The last of that statement had Aang shuffling around in disbelief. "Since when do you give up this easy?" he demanded with a disappointed scowl.

"It has nothing to do with 'giving up,'" Zuko denied glumly, "I know a hopeless situation when I see one."

"This isn't a hopeless situation," Aang argued as he surveyed their surroundings. "Granted, it doesn't look too promising at the moment, but we're going to get out of this. We just need to put our heads together and think of a way out of this mess…figuratively, I mean," he added when Zuko leveled him with a sour face through the bars of his prison.

"Aang, unless you have a shovel hidden inside your shirt or you're an Earthbender masquerading as a Firebender, I'm pretty _positive_ that we're stuck down here," Zuko emphasized sarcastically before adding in a low, lamenting mutter to himself, "Maybe none of this would have ever happened if I hadn't gone to the palace on my own."

"So why did you do it?" Aang asked.

Surprised Aang had even heard his self-flagellating mumble, Zuko glanced up to find the Fire Nation prince no longer on the other side of the cave, but peering at him curiously through the bars of his cell. Knowing his friend would not stop pushing until he got an answer, Zuko moodily gave him one. "I thought I could get in to see the Earth King sooner if I was alone," he replied tightly. "I was wrong."

"So what does that mean? Do you feel like we're holding you back or something?" Aang demanded in mild affront.

"Don't put words in my mouth!" Zuko retorted shortly, "That's not what I'm saying at all! I wanted to see the Earth King so that we could put our plan in motion. I figured it would go smoother if I went on my own instead of in a large group. It wasn't a slight against you guys! I just want this all to be over."

The tension eased out of Aang's shoulders as he listened, not only to what Zuko told him, but what he left unspoken as well. Aang regarded him with a softened expression full of empathy. "When you say you want it to be 'over,' are you talking about the war or the pain you're feeling over losing Appa?"

At the mention of his bison, Zuko immediately shut down. He averted his face and shifted into the shadows so that Aang could no longer see him. "I don't want to talk about it," came his terse reply out of the darkness.

"You might as well," Aang replied, undaunted. "We've got nothing better to do." When Zuko remained obstinately silent, Aang was undeterred and pressed further. "What's going on with you, Zuko? I'm used to you being a grump in general, but this is something different." He paused in his observation, giving Zuko the opportunity to respond to that charge, but the young Avatar refused to say a word. "Is this about what happened in the desert with you and the man that stole Appa?" Aang queried bluntly.

Zuko pinned him with a sharpened look at the question. He wasn't exactly surprised to learn that Aang already knew about it, but being confronted about the matter with such forthrightness put Zuko on the instant defensive. He shrank back deeper into the shadows, jaw set tight. "So I guess Katara told you all about it, huh?"

"She did," Aang confirmed.

"Well, it wasn't her place to say anything at all!" Zuko grated, "I don't want you two gossiping about me!"

"We weren't gossiping about you, Zuko," Aang refuted mildly. "Katara is worried. We're both worried." He peered into the murk for a glimpse of Zuko, but the young Avatar refused to materialize from the gloomy corners of his cell. Finally, Aang sighed. "She told me that you had killed the man who stole Appa."

"And?" Zuko snapped defiantly.

"And I'm wondering if you'd like to talk about it," Aang suggested patiently, "I figure you're pretty messed up over what happened."

"Why would I be 'messed up'? The guy was hardly innocent!" Zuko fired back defensively. "He was a liar and a thief and he's the reason Appa is gone!"

"So then it wasn't an accident? You meant to kill him?"

"Does it matter?" Zuko muttered thickly.

"Zuko, I can't help you if I don't really know what happened that day," Aang reasoned. "So tell me the truth, did you mean to kill that man or were you just overwhelmed?"

For a long time, Zuko was so silent that Aang eventually came to the sad conclusion that he wasn't going to penetrate the emotional walls Zuko had erected after all. Yet, as Aang started to turn away from his cell altogether, Zuko asked, "What if I told you it was a combination of both?" Aang regarded him without judgment, wisely waiting for Zuko to elaborate before he made any comment. "It wasn't an accident," Zuko confessed brokenly, "I…I meant to do it. I wasn't even in the avatar state, so I don't have that excuse. It was all me. I remember feeling this tremendous sense of satisfaction as I did it too. It felt like justice.

"But when it was over," he concluded in a hoarse tone, "I felt sick…just awful. It was the most horrible feeling I've ever felt. I don't know if I'll ever get over it and maybe I never should. I willfully took someone's life, Aang. What kind of person does that make me? What kind of Avatar does that make me?"

Having asked the same question himself recently, Aang could feel nothing but empathy for his friend. "The human kind," he answered solemnly.

"That's no excuse."

"I'm not trying to excuse you," Aang replied quietly. "But, I understand where you're coming from." Zuko didn't respond to that at all and so Aang took advantage of his silence to ask another question. "So…how are you coping with it all? Don't tell me what you think I want to hear. Just be honest."

"How am I coping?" Zuko echoed incredulously, "That's what you want to know? I just told you that I killed a man, Aang…_deliberately_. I took a son away from his father! I destroyed a family! Who cares how _I'm_ coping? I caused someone, who took me into his home and showed me hospitality and fellowship, unbelievable heartbreak! You should be disgusted! You should hate me!"

"Why would I hate you when you're already feeling enough of that for the both of us?" Aang countered softly.

"That's not the point," Zuko mumbled, "I'm not the one who deserves your sympathy and understanding. Why would you care how I feel about it?"

"Because it's obviously eating you alive, that's why. You're my friend and I care."

"Some friend I am," Zuko muttered.

"You're actually a pretty terrific friend when you let yourself be," Aang told him. "You can't be so guarded all the time, Zuko. Stop holding the people who care about you at arm's length. Let us in."

Abruptly, Zuko's frustrated fury drained out of him and he slumped weakly against the wall of his cage. From his positioning, Aang could make out his dejected profile and nothing else. "I can't do that," Zuko mumbled self-deprecatingly, "I can't let you in. I'll only end up destroying you guys like I'm destroying myself."

"I don't believe that," Aang refuted, "Your grief is clouding everything you do and say right now. Losing Appa hit you hard and unexpectedly. Of course, you didn't react in the best way, especially when you found yourself face to face with the person who took him from you. Anyone in your position would have been upset."

"That doesn't make it right," Zuko countered stubbornly.

"You're right," Aang agreed, "It doesn't make it right. You took a man's life and that is likely going to be with you for the rest of _your_ life. But you said it yourself. The man wasn't innocent. You had just learned that he sold your bison to a bunch of meat peddlers. You were never going to see Appa again and you lost it. Maybe your actions aren't excusable, but they _are_ understandable, Zuko. You made a mistake."

Zuko barked a short, embittered laugh at that. "No, Aang, a mistake is putting your shirt on backwards or using Sokka's seal jerky to start a fire," he scoffed meaningfully, "What I did in the desert wasn't a mistake. It was a horrible lapse in judgment and I've regretted it ever since. But this is something I can _never_ take back. I used to think the monks were too idealistic in their teachings about life and forgiveness. But they were right. I can see that so clearly now," he whispered to himself, "Why couldn't I see it then?"

"Grief and desperation can sometimes make us do and say things we've never dreamed of," Aang considered sympathetically. "What's important here is that you learned from your mistakes."

"This isn't the way I want to learn," Zuko grated thickly. He slumped forward so that his forehead rested against the wall of his cage. "I'm not supposed to make mistakes like this. I'm not supposed to be irrational or indecisive or scared, Aang. I should have been able to push past my anger and forgive him. I shouldn't have let my feelings overrule my judgment."

"In a perfect world, maybe you shouldn't have," Aang considered, "but our world is a long way from being perfect. You're being much too hard on yourself, Zuko. If it had been _me_ and Appa had been _my_ bison, I can't say I would have reacted any differently."

Through the dimness, Aang spied the luminous shine of Zuko's right eye as he shifted in the cell. The tentative hope in lurking in his careful expression was impossible to ignore. "You wouldn't have?" Zuko asked gruffly.

Aang wrapped his fingers around the bars and pressed his face close to the opening so Zuko could see the earnestness on his face when he said, "Yeah, I would have reacted just the same way you did. Had it been me…I would have killed him too…and I probably would have regretted it afterwards, just like you."

For a brief, flashing second, relief and validation settled on Zuko's features before they clouded over again and he emitted a despondent sigh. "It's not the same though," he concluded, disappearing into the shadows once more, "I'm the Avatar. I'm held to a higher standard than everyone else, Aang. What happened in the desert shouldn't have happened because I'm not supposed to make mistakes like that."

"Who gave you that idea?" Aang snorted, "Is that in the Avatar handbook or something?"

"This isn't a joke!" Zuko barked back sharply. "I'm failing in my duties and everybody knows it!"

"Will you cut yourself some slack?" Aang sighed. "For all your responsibility and power, you're still a teenager. You're a thirteen year old boy and you're not perfect. _No one_ makes the right decision all the time, not even the Avatar."

"You do," Zuko considered fallaciously, "You've never made a wrong decision in the entire time I've known you and you started your quest at roughly the same age I am now. Maybe you should have been the Avatar," he finished in a cynical mumble.

"No, thank you," Aang countered sardonically. "First of all, I wouldn't want the responsibilities heaped on you even if it came with all the money in the world. My freedom would be gone. Frankly, your job bites. When I first left home all I ever did was second-guess myself. That didn't change after I joined up with you guys either. I'm _never_ sure of myself," he revealed dramatically, "I usually just fly by the seat of my pants. I couldn't take it if my mistakes counted the way yours do."

"Well thanks, Aang. That's very comforting," Zuko pitched back dryly.

"The point is, I have doubts _all the time_," Aang plodded on, choking back his laughter, "Sometimes, I want to forget about this mission and go back home. Sometimes, I just want things to be the way they used to be with my dad. I constantly have to remind myself of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. It's really hard."

"But you still do the right thing no matter what," Zuko pointed out dully.

"That's because I've had a wise mentor by my side to get me through the rough patches," Aang replied. "My Uncle Iroh has helped me to keep things in perspective and kept me from making a lot of foolish decisions. You don't have that, Zuko. I'm not saying that Sokka, Katara, Toph and I aren't here to support you, because we are, but…we're no older than you are, with no more life experience than what you have. We don't know any more than you do. I think you should be proud of yourself that you've made it this far and practically on your own."

"How can I be proud of myself?" Zuko flared sharply, licking at the tears that suddenly spilled from his eyes and collected in the corners of his mouth, "I feel too guilty and ashamed. After what happened in the desert…I feel like I don't know myself anymore…like I can't trust myself and, if I can't do that, how am I supposed to believe I can end this war? How can I believe that I'll succeed at anything ever again?"

"If you're expecting to make all the right decisions, all the time, you're setting yourself up for failure, Zuko," Aang advised him mildly.

Zuko tipped a morose look up at him through the shadows and shook his head. "You don't understand," he muttered, "I'm afraid of myself and what I'm capable of, Aang. You once told me that if I couldn't stop being so angry all the time that I was going to become the very thing I hated. Roku told me the same thing and I ignored you both. But it was true. Now, I'm no better than the Firelord."

"That's not who you are, Zuko," Aang refuted softly, "If it were, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. As long as you can recognize that you have faults, you can work to improve them. I can tell you that the Firelords, past and present, all thought they were justified in what they did. I doubt my great grandfather Sozin agonized as much about wiping out the entire Air Nomad race as you have about taking the life of a single man who personally wronged you!"

"Just because I'm sorry, it doesn't make me the better person!" Zuko bit out. "It just means I have a conscience."

Recognizing that he was not going to break Zuko's pertinacious self-hatred by reaffirming all of his good qualities, Aang decided to take an entirely different tactic. "I thought about giving you up to my dad when I was in prison," he confessed bluntly, "And I almost did it too."

Zuko whipped a startled look towards him. "What?"

"It's true," Aang insisted. "I was going to do it. I even had a list of justifications ready to ease my conscience. I told myself that 'I was doing it for my family. I told myself that 'I was just a kid and protecting you was too much responsibility for me' and 'if you, as the Avatar, couldn't hold your own against my father, it wasn't _my_ fault.' And, of course, I used the excuse that you guys left me behind for dead. You did what you had to in order to survive and so I had every right to do the same."

"Why are you telling me all this, Aang?" Zuko whispered.

"Have you lost respect for me because I didn't have loyal thoughts all the time?" Aang wondered, "Do you think less of me because I considered betraying you?"

"No! That's ridiculous!" Zuko retorted shortly, a little aggravated by Aang's reasoning and his abrupt change in subject, "You were in prison and under extreme duress! Besides, it doesn't matter what you _thought_ about doing because you didn't go through with it anyway!"

"Only because Uncle staged a rescue in time," Aang countered in a whisper. "I'm going to tell you something that no one else knows, not even Katara, but I know you will understand better than anyone."

"What is it?"

"When I was in prison, my father set an execution date for me," Aang confessed. "When he first told me, I was resolved and I thought, 'so what? I'm going to die with honor.' But being inside that place was…something indescribable. I hated every day and, as my execution date came closer, I knew I didn't want to die. I was so scared and so alone." He ducked his head, his words becoming a hoarse expulsion of breath as he confessed, "I honestly don't know what I would have done if my uncle hadn't acted when he did."

"The right thing," Zuko concluded with unwavering conviction. "You always do."

Aang glanced up to find his friend staring at him without reserve or judgment. He didn't realize how much he had needed to hear that reassurance until Zuko said the words aloud. Aang determined right then to give the same peace of mind back to Zuko.

"You always do the right thing too, Zuko," he said, "…even if sometimes you take the wrong path to get there. You always find your way. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't follow you."

"I don't think I know how to find my way now," Zuko muttered thickly.

"Yes, you do. The answer has been in front of you this entire time. Forgive yourself, Zuko," Aang told him without preamble, "Learn from your mistakes and move on from them. Looking back in the past only weighs you down because you can't change what's already happened."

"Is that what you're doing?"

"I can't dwell on the mistakes I made or might have made," Aang replied, "I can only learn from my experiences. I know what my strengths are now and what my weaknesses are too." He surveyed Zuko with a penetrating stare that was both stern and gentle all at once. "You have a temper and sometimes you allow your temper to override your reason. Work on that. Work on controlling your emotions. What happened in the desert didn't happen because you're a bad person, but because you lost control. I know you that if you can learn all four elements in only a few months, you can master your temper…you just have to want it bad enough."

The sage wisdom in Aang's advice was difficult to ignore. Zuko had heard similar arguments from Katara, but somehow hearing the same thing from Aang managed to convince Zuko that there might be some truth to it all. Perhaps because part of him believed Katara sometimes blinded herself to his faults. She was so determined to see the good in him that she tended to ignore the undesireable stuff. Aang, on the other hand, had never shied away from pointing out his shortcomings. The fact that the Firebender was aware of those faults and yet still expressed absolute confidence in him, even after all he'd done, spoke volumes for Zuko.

He emitted a soft grunt in response, but only because he was too moved by his friend's words to speak right away. "I hear what you're saying to me," Zuko sighed finally, "and I agree that it makes sense, but it seems wrong to forget about what I did and just move on from it like it never happened."

"Don't look at it that way. You're _not_ forgetting about it," Aang argued, "That event will likely influence everything you think and do for the rest of your life. It's as much a scar on your heart now as this scar on my face. That's a fact. But you _still _have to move on from it. You can't let the guilt consume you; otherwise the scar will never heal.

"Zuko, people fall and fail," Aang continued softly, "That's inevitable. The point isn't whether or not you can make the journey without stumbling. It's whether or not you pick yourself up and keep going when you do."

Once Aang had finished speaking, Zuko slipped back into the darkness and contemplated the wisdom of the Firebender's words. Aang was right. Guilt and self-hatred _had_ been driving his decisions, which in turn had only led to more bad ones. Every day he felt like he was choking…dying and the feelings were doing nothing except impeding his ability to fulfill his duties as Avatar. He couldn't take back what he'd done to Gashuin in the desert just as he couldn't take back the countless other mistakes he'd made, but he _could _break the cycle of behavior that had led to it.

The monks had taught that forgiveness and love were the key components to respecting and preserving life. He had failed to forgive Gashuin and the results had been disastrous. He had failed to love himself and that had only led to bad things as well. Now, Zuko could plainly see that the monks' teachings hadn't only applied to those outside themselves, but personally as well. He needed to learn to forgive _himself_ just as much as he needed to forgive others. His inability to do so was at the heart of everything Zuko did.

There was a heavy burden of guilt on Zuko's shoulders that had not begun with the incident in the desert. That had simply been the event to finally break his spirit. In truth, Zuko hadn't forgiven himself for running away and not preventing the destruction of his people. He hadn't forgiven himself for the war. He hadn't forgiven himself for the decimation of the Southern Waterbenders and every other bad thing that had happened in the world as a result of his 100 year absence. However, he could change none of that. What he _could_ do was impact the future and, in order to do that, he would have to do just as Aang advised. He would have to shake off his guilt and move on. The world's survival depended on it.

"Get a rock," he ordered Aang abruptly.

That his beautiful and heartfelt counsel was followed up with _that_ order left Aang scowling in confused exasperation. "A rock? Why?"

"Because you're going to bust me out of here, that's why," Zuko told him.

Aang's aggravation gave way to smiling relief. "It's about time!"

Unfortunately, their renewed determination to escape began to die a little after twenty minutes of fruitlessly banging on Zuko's metal lock with a stone without results. Aang fell back to survey his marked lack of progress, panting and disappointed. Growling in frustration, he tossed the rock away in irritation and began restlessly circling the cavern.

"It's not budging. I didn't even make a dent in it."

"It was probably made in the Fire Nation," Zuko wisecracked dryly.

"Haha, you're so hilarious," Aang deadpanned.

"You didn't expect getting me out of here to be easy, did you?"

"I know that! It's just so frustrating," Aang huffed, "We need an Earthbender to get you out. You're an Earthbender, but you can't get out because you can't bend. It feels like we're the butt of some incredible cosmic joke! I don't like the feeling."

"I think that was the general idea."

However, Zuko's sarcastic rejoinder pretty much sailed over Aang's head as he suddenly straightened and snapped his finger in a "eureka" moment. "I've got it!" he exclaimed excitedly, "Maybe if I superheated the lock, I could soften the metal enough to loosen it."

The moment he mentioned the word "super-heated," Zuko was adamantly against the plan. In fact, the idea of Aang superheating an all metal box while he was trapped inside sounded like the stupidest plan of all time to him and he basically said so in very succinct terms.

"Trust me," Aang insisted, "This will work."

"You're not hearing me! It's not a good idea—,"

"Stand back."

"Aang, it's a _terrible_ idea," Zuko reiterated loudly.

"Are you on the other side?"

"Aang, are you listening to me? Do. NOT. Do it!"

"Stand clear on the count of three!"

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

Zuko barely managed to shuffle to the safety of the cell's corner as streams of fire poured from Aang's mouth and flashed past the bars, filtering inside to lick at the interior of the cage's roof. The intensity from the heat was almost unbearable and that was _before_ Zuko noticed that the walls of the cell were also beginning to warm with Aang's efforts. "Will you stop it?" Zuko cried in aggravation, shifting uncomfortably in the rising heat which caused his bonds to chafe and constrict around him, "I'm roasting in here!"

At last, Aang pulled back the flames and a few moments later Zuko heard the telltale sounds of banging once again. That went on for several minutes before Aang's frustrated mutterings reached Zuko's ears. "Why isn't this working?" Aang griped to himself.

"You mean your plan wasn't a success?" Zuko concluded dryly, "How shocking."

"I managed to make the metal a little more malleable," Aang panted, "but nothing else. Maybe I should—,"

"Don't do it again!" Zuko flared before he could complete the sentence, "You're not only making the lock hot when you do that, but this entire cage. Are you trying to free me or bake me?"

Aang directed a sour look down at him through the window. "You got a better idea?"

Before they could dissolve into a round of bickering over what was the best course of action, a shaft of earth suddenly slid away from the cave. Aang whipped around just as two Earthbenders materialized through the opening with a hooded and struggling prisoner pressed between them. Before Aang could process what was happening, they unceremoniously thrust the prisoner forward so that the newcomer sprawled a few inches from Aang's feet.

"You've got company," one of the guards grated maliciously, "Enjoy it while it last."

Eyes narrowed with disapproval, Aang staunchly ignored the Earthbenders as they exited and resealed them inside the cave and instead focused his attention on assisting the fallen man to his feet. As he did, the prisoner's hood fell backwards and Aang discovered that his fellow captive was not a he at all, but a _she_. Quite unexpectedly, he found himself staring into a face he hadn't seen in weeks and hadn't anticipated seeing again until the war was over. He froze, his mouth falling open in speechless shock.

Yet, while he had difficulty finding the words, Zuko didn't have such a problem. "_Mai?_" he exclaimed, blinking at her dubiously, "What are you doing here?"


	40. Chapter Thirty Nine

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

The Dai Li always patrolled the city streets in front of the Jasmine Dragon. Because Iroh's teashop received such rave reviews throughout the city, it seemed inevitable that a few of Ba Sing Se's secret police would stop in for an occasional cup or two. Consequently, Iroh had built up quite a few regulars among them and he had never been more grateful of that fact than he was on that particular day.

Currently, a group of them sat at their usual table in the very rear of the teashop. As they were preparing to leave to begin their patrols, Iroh quickly made his approach toward the lone Dai Li agent still seated, a man whose named he'd learned was Leong. With his lips curved in a disarming and genial smile, Iroh humbly extended the teapot in his hands.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" he asked, refilling the agent's empty cup without request.

"I'm afraid my shift begins in a few minutes," Leong replied with a sigh of disappointment, "You'll have to save that cup for another day."

"That is a shame," Iroh tsked softly, "I just brewed a fresh pot of your favorite." He favored the agent with a coaxing expression. "Surely, you can stay for one more cup…on the house."

The idea of a free cup of Jasmine Dragon tea was too appealing to pass up. It didn't take much more than that to convince the Dai Li agent to stay. After waving off his companions with the promise he would join them shortly, he said to Iroh, "I suppose I can stay for just one more."

"Excellent," Iroh sighed in a pleased tone. "You are one of my most loyal customers and I want to be sure that everything is to your liking."

"Everything is excellent as always, Mushi," Leong praised, "You are a true artist."

Iroh made a concerted effort not to flinch upon hearing his fake moniker. Though he had been going by the name for some weeks now, he still hadn't gotten used to being called by it. Perhaps because he was always glaringly aware that who his customers believed him to be and who he was were two entirely different people. Iroh couldn't afford to let himself be lulled by the admiration and respect his customers had for him. They loved Mushi, the unassuming and humble teashop owner, but somehow Iroh suspected they wouldn't be quite as accepting of Iroh, the retired Fire Nation general who had once laid siege to their city. Because of that, Iroh kept himself guarded and watchful.

"Oh sir, you flatter me," he said with a jolly laugh, belying his inward thoughts. "The flavor is in the tea leaf. I do nothing except extract that flavor…and add a few secret spices, of course," Iroh finished with a wink. When the agent laughed, Iroh knew he had succeeded in putting the man at ease and instilling a sense of trust in him. That was when the former Fire Nation general went in for the kill. "I'm actually working on a specialty tea that is a combination of my two favorites," he revealed casually, "I'm a bit nervous about its debut, however."

"I'm sure it will be divine, Mushi," Leong assured him graciously.

"I hope you are right," Iroh replied in a deliberately doubtful tone.

"If you're worried about how it will be received, I'd be happy to give it a taste for you and let you know what I think," the Dai Li agent offered gamely.

"Would you?" Iroh espoused excitedly, as though the agent's response wasn't _exactly_ the one he was hoping for. "It wouldn't be too much trouble for you, would it?"

"No trouble at all," Leong said, "Let me take care of a few things first and then I'm all yours."

He darted off, presumably to make a few arrangements with his companions, and then eagerly followed Iroh into the back kitchen. Once there, Iroh offered him a stool on which to sit and then passed him a steaming cup of tea. With a deep, contented sigh, the agent inhaled the tempting aroma swirling from the cup. "If this tastes as good as it smells, I know I'm going to like it," he told Iroh.

"I hope so. Drink, drink," Iroh encouraged in a murmur, watching the man carefully as he took his first few sips.

That was all it took before the Dai Li agent began to feel the effects of the poison Iroh had given him. At first, his hands and fingers itched uncontrollably before the sensation began traveling up his arms, then to his chest and back. It wasn't long before his entire body was inflamed and speckled with a fine, red rash. He hopped from his stool, scratching maniacally at his fevered skin; alarmed further when he saw that his fingers had swollen to the size of sausages.

"What's happening?" he panicked wildly, "What was in that tea?"

"You just ingested the nectar of the white jade bush," Iroh informed him, "When the rash reaches your throat, it will swell and you will stop breathing."

"You poisoned me," the agent wheezed in terror.

"Poison is such a strong word," Iroh tsked. The agent made a move to attack. "I don't think you want to do that," Iroh warned him, "You see, I have the antidote."

Very gradually the Dai Li agent relaxed, though the hostility did not fade from his features. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Rather than answer his question directly, Iroh assured him, "You won't die. I have every intention of giving you the cure to the poison."

"Now! Give it to me now!" the man demanded anxiously.

"In due time," Iroh reassured him, "But first, I need a bit of information from you…"

Mai shook off Aang's hold, which wasn't difficult since he was still standing there in open-mouthed shock. She, in turn, was equally shocked to find him there as well. They regarded one another with wide-eyed stares, caught between grinning and gaping.

"What am I doing here?" she echoed, casually beating the dust from her clothing as she leveled Aang with an incredulous look, "What are _you_ doing here? When did you get out of prison?"

"Not that long ago," Aang replied and, reading the unasked question in her expression, added wryly, "You know my Uncle Iroh…he has connections you couldn't even imagine."

"Yes, I remember," Mai replied with a small smile. "So you escaped one prison to end up in another? That's sheer brilliance, Aang."

"Technically, it's not a prison…it's a cave…of sorts," he argued lamely, "Anyway, this isn't about me. It's about you. What are you doing here, Mai?"

She prefaced her response with a long, serrated sigh. "Very likely ruining my entire life and risking a long, filthy stay in a Fire Nation prison."

It didn't take Aang long to discern her meaning. With those words, he finally overcame his astonishment at seeing her again and grabbed hold of Mai once more, this time to throw his arms around her waist, as much as his shackles would allow, and hug her hard, seemingly impervious to the way his metal bonds bunched and pulled awkwardly as he did. "I knew it," he gushed excitedly, "I knew you wouldn't be able to follow Azula indefinitely! You made the right decision, Mai." From within the confines of his metal cage, Zuko witnessed the exchange between them with a narrowed glare, his chest throbbing with wild pangs of jealousy.

Mai, however, was painfully aware of Aang's very heavy cuffs pressing into her flesh and so she gently, but firmly, shoved him away. "Enough of that," she said, leveling him with a good-natured eye roll, her expression mildly sardonic.

"Come on," Aang prodded. "You should be happy. You did a good thing."

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to leap for joy?"

"Mai, I'd pay good money to see you 'leap' for anything," Aang replied with the utmost seriousness.

"Get flamed," she retorted, but there was more affection in the insult than heat.

Aang grinned at her. "I'm really glad you're here."

"I'm glad one of us is," she sighed, "It's not like turning my back on Azula did me a whole lot of good. I escaped one crazy person to run straight into the arms of another."

"At least you're with friends," Aang interjected sheepishly, for which he received a withering look from Mai for his efforts.

She made a sweeping gesture towards their present accommodations. "What's with these Earth people anyway? I risk my neck to warn them of impending doom and they thank me by throwing me into a hole after interrogating me for most of the night. They even took my knives…" She fixed Aang with a dark look as he digested the implications of that statement. "Full body searches do not make me happy, Aang."

"Does anything make you happy, Mai?" Aang teased.

"Ha ha." She glowered at Aang though there was a faint, pleasant smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she did. "This has your m.o. written all over it. Is making enemies a new hobby for you or something?"

"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe you were thrown in here because of _you_?" Zuko jeered tautly, "Or were you just expecting them to fall at your feet because you finally realized you were fighting for the wrong side?"

For the first time since her arrival, Mai acknowledged his presence. She had been aware of his predicament all the while, but it had given her a cruel sort of satisfaction to ignore him. After their last disastrous conversation, it was the least that he deserved. And now that he'd made that impossible, however, Mai's reaction to him was anything but delighted.

"Hello to you too, Zuko," she greeted rather nonchalantly, "I'd ask why you're in a cage, but your current accommodations seem way too appropriate. It's about time someone figured out where you belong."

"I see your sense of humor has improved by leaps and bounds since we last spoke, Mai," he bit out scornfully, "Which isn't much of an improvement since you never had one to begin with!"

Rather than toss back a retort, which she knew he wanted, Mai merely rolled her eyes in disinterest. She refused to let him provoke her. Yet, in spite of her indifferent façade, it did not escape Mai's notice that Zuko rolled his back. She wondered briefly if Aang would still love her if she murdered the Avatar.

"Um…well yeah…" Aang hedged, nonplussed and acutely aware of the stifling antagonism between them though he had no idea _why_ it was there, "I don't suppose introductions are necessary then, huh? You two seem like you already know each other."

"Yes, we've met before," Mai confirmed, her steely stare trained on Zuko the entire time.

"And that's _good_, right?" Aang prompted hopefully.

"No, not really," Zuko declared obnoxiously.

"Oh…well, okay," Aang chirped again, clearly taken aback.

"I can see that a simple 'thank you' is well beyond your limited capabilities, Zuko," Mai remarked, "but try to make the effort anyway."

"You want me to thank you?" Zuko snorted in disbelief, "For what? You can't even call this a rescue! You're as helpless as we are!"

"How about for saving your bison? That would be a nice start." She took advantage of his speechlessness following that announcement to add, "Though how you managed to lose something that large is beyond me."

"Are you being serious? What are you talking about? Are you saying you have Appa?" Zuko breathed, hope blooming in his heart and reflected in his tone as he exclaimed again, "_You_ _have_ _Appa?"_

"Well, I _had_ him," Mai emphasized with an ironic sigh, "But the moment I confirmed he was yours, our gracious hosts were only too happy to take him off of my hands. I don't know where they took him."

While Zuko absorbed that near unbelievable bit of information, Aang asked the most obvious question. "How did you even get him in the first place? We'd been told that he'd been sold to some merchants."

"I don't know about any merchants," Mai told him, "All I know is that Azula took him from an Earthbender."

"Wait…Azula's had him this entire time?" Zuko cried in alarm, shaking his head incredulously. "How? When?"

"That's not good," Aang mumbled grimly.

"So much understatement there," Mai replied with her characteristic dry sarcasm. "Why do you think I had to _steal_ him from her to get him out of there?"

"_You_ stole Appa?" Zuko echoed, dumbfounded and dubious. "Somehow, I'm having a hard time imagining that."

"Let's just say I had some serious motivation," Mai hedged cryptically, "Anyway, things didn't quite work out the way I planned. Azula caught me. If it hadn't been for Ty Lee, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now. I still haven't figured out if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Wait. Go back. Ty Lee turned on her too?" Aang queried incredulously. "Was she with you?" Mai shook her head grimly. "She's still with Azula?" This time, he received a grim nod. "Oh, that's really, really bad. I'll bet Azula is insane with fury right about now."

"Well, we are talking about your sister," Mai deadpanned with an ironic smirk, "She's like that on a good day." However, her dry humor dissipated as quickly as it surfaced. "But yeah…I hate to think about what Ty Lee is enduring at this moment. I'm still having a hard time processing what she did for me."

"You guys are talking about the bubbly girl who does the fancy cartwheels and can block your chi, right?" Zuko interjected curiously.

"That's her," Mai confirmed, "She's a good friend. If we get out of this, I want to go after her, Aang." She refused to consider that "going after Ty Lee" might be a moot point. She didn't want to think about that at all.

"You don't even have to ask me," Aang told her, "I've always liked Ty Lee. She doesn't deserve what Azula has in store for her. As soon as we get out of here and talk with the Earth King, I'm going with you."

"It might not be that simple," Mai prefaced.

"Why not?"

"There's one more thing I haven't told you," Mai added, "Azula is on her way here to Ba Sing Se right now…with a drill. It's the most massive drill you've ever seen. She plans to tunnel right through Ba Sing Se's great wall with it. They were moving quickly last night and she probably ordered them to speed it up after I escaped. I wouldn't be surprised if she's here already and laying siege to the city."

"What?" Zuko and Aang exploded simultaneously.

"I tried to tell our gracious hosts that same thing, but they accused me of being a spy and well…here I am."

"No…no…I can't believe this is even happening," Aang muttered to himself anxiously.

"Why? What do you know about it?" Zuko demanded.

"For a long time, my father had plans in the works for a drill," Aang recounted, "He wanted it to be unstoppable and virtually indestructible. When I left home, he was still dreaming up the concept as far as I knew. It was so massive…so beyond, I never thought it would ever see the light of day."

"Well, it's not a dream anymore," Mai informed him darkly, "When Azula gets here, she has orders to lay waste to the city. Anyone who opposes her will be cut down. There'll be no help for these people."

"That's not going to happen," Zuko determined, banging against the metallic façade of his cage in mounting frustration, "Not if I can help it. I will not be stuck in a cage while Ba Sing Se is attacked! You two have to get me out of here…_right_ _now_."

"Aren't you boys very lucky then," Mai returned as she calmly unwound one of her tight buns to reveal the miniature dagger concealed there in the coils of her hair, "that I always come prepared?"

"Toph, what are you doing?" Sokka asked the question around a defeated sigh as he watched Toph try again and again to manipulate the metal cell surrounding them. Though the cell had no windows, the weariness in their bodies made it abundantly clear that they had been there for most of the night, if not all of it. Sokka was sure it was morning. Given that, he couldn't believe Toph had yet to give up searching for a way to escape, especially in light of the fact that he and Katara had thrown in the towel hours before. "For the last time, this cell is made of steel. That's exactly the reason Long Feng put us in here in the first place! Let it go!"

Blowing her shaggy bangs from her eyes in a huff of aggravation, Toph rounded on Sokka with a surly grimace. She braced her back against the cell door and crossed her arms mutinously. "Well, excuse me if I don't want to sit on my butt doing nothing!"

"What else can be done?" Katara countered dully. "We're prisoners! Even if we were to get out of here, we can't take on the Dai Li by ourselves. We _need_ Zuko and we have no idea where to find him or Aang. We don't even know if they're still okay."

"So you want to sit here and twiddle our thumbs?" Toph balked, "We can't just give up, you guys! We've come too far. The Earth King has to know about Long Feng's conspiracy with the Dai Li!"

"What if it's not a conspiracy?" Katara suggested, "What if the Earth King is in this up to his neck? For all we know, Long Feng arrested us on _his_ orders!"

"I doubt it," Sokka considered. "I've been thinking about this long and hard, Katara, and if the Earth King really was a part of Long Feng's overall scheme, I doubt Long Feng would have fought so hard to keep us from seeing him. I'm starting to suspect that the Earth King doesn't know what's happening in his own kingdom."

"And this is the guy we expect to help us?" Toph snorted.

"It's not like we have very many options, Toph," Sokka reasoned. "Ba Sing Se is the last, remaining Earth Kingdom stronghold with an army large enough to go against the Firelord."

"So then that just proves my point," Toph insisted, "We need to get out of here."

"And that brings us back around to _our_ point," Katara countered crisply, "We are in a metal cell. You can't bend metal, therefore we are stuck here."

"No," Toph refuted. "There has to be a way."

"I'm all ears," Sokka invited gamely.

"Okay, just think about it for a minute," Toph urged them, "What is metal? Where do the materials used to make it come from?"

"What has that got to do with our current situation?" Katara bit out irritably.

"It has _everything_ to do with our current situation," Toph retorted. "Sokka? What do you have to say?"

"Well, I guess there's iron and gold and silver and all those things come from…" Sokka faded off into silence as the crux of Toph's argument began to crystallize in his mind. "Oh…wow…"

"Come from what?" Katara prodded impatiently.

"Ore. All of those metals are _mined_, Katara…they come from the ground, from _earth_!" Sokka exclaimed, leaping to his feet in growing excitement, "So that means that Toph could possibly bend metal based on its basic components! Toph, you're a genius!"

"It's about time you figured it out," the blind Earthbender returned smartly.

"Wait…wait…" Katara cautioned, always the voice of practicality, "We can't get ahead of ourselves. Toph has never bent metal before. We're not even sure if she _can_ do it. This is just a crazy theory!"

"What if it's not?" Sokka considered, "What if this is our way out of here?"

"It's a long shot," Katara said.

"But it _is_ possible," her brother maintained, "and, at this point, we have nothing to lose." He looked over at Toph, his blue eyes alighting with renewed hope and determination. "Do it," he told her, "Get us out of here."

"What is our progress?" Long Feng demanded as he stepped onto the watchman's platform atop Ba Sing Se's great, outer wall at mid-morning. However, when he glanced over the edge of the wall and found the drill, not destroyed as he'd expected, but tunneling right through the earthen fortress, he rounded on the commanding general with an enraged snarl. "General Sung, what is the meaning of this?" he snapped, "Why haven't you stopped them?"

"Long Feng, sir, we have tried," the harried general informed him, "But that thing…it's unstoppable. We haven't even put a dent in it."

His explanations, however, only sounded like excuses to Long Feng. "I see the old adage is true then," the Grand Secretary murmured in unconcealed disgust, "If you want something done, you must do it yourself." He flicked a sideways glance to the small battalion of agents standing at his right. "Dai Li," he intoned sharply, "Dismantle that drill now and bring me the pieces."

As dozens of Dai Li agents skimmed down the outer side of the wall towards the drill to carry out his orders, General Sung warned him direly, "I don't think it will be as easy as you're imagining."

"Fortunately, I care very little about what you think," Long Feng returned smoothly. He turned to address General Sung's exhausted troops. "When my agents are in place, you will open fire on that monstrosity and you will not cease until I order you to do so," he commanded, "There has not been a Firebender within the walls of Ba Sing Se in nearly one hundred years! That will _not _change today!"

The declaration wasn't wholly true and Long Feng knew that. However, complete honesty was the furthest thing from his mind. He had deliberately failed to mention that because his first order of business, once he had dispensed of that annoying drill, was to do away with the troublesome Firebender. When he was finished with the boy, it would be like he had never existed at all.

Confident and self-assured, Long Feng gave the order to open fire as soon as his agents had reached the ground.


	41. Chapter Forty

**Chapter Forty**

"What's taking you so long?" Zuko complained.

Mai heaved a low, aggravated grunt and speared him with a narrowed glare. "I'm doing the best I can," she clipped in response, "Is it my fault some idiot melted the lock?"

"What?" Aang cried defensively, "I was trying to help!"

In response to that, Mai cut him a brief, unsympathetic look before she returned to the task of attempting to pick the mangled padlock on Zuko's cell. Having already divested Aang of his shackles, Mai's full attention was now directed towards liberating Zuko from his cage. She knew she had her work cut out for her. Gaining access to his movable cell was only the tip of the iceberg. Once that was done, she'd still have to work her way through the chains wrapping his body and the shackles binding his wrists and ankles.

"Someone really wanted to keep you locked up," she remarked.

"What gave it away?" Zuko retorted tartly.

Rather than snapping back at him, Mai worked as fast as she could. However, it didn't help matters that Zuko was being as surly as possible while she did. She was seriously starting to believe he was incapable of gratitude. Part of her wanted to leave him locked up on principle while a larger part of her recognized the urgency of freeing him. Consequently, Mai did her best to ignore him, concentrating her task while he and Aang conversed overhead.

"So…um…how do you two know each other anyway?" Aang asked, voicing the question that had been niggling at him for the last half hour.

"You asked me to look out for him, remember?" Mai reminded him as if that were explanation enough.

"Yeah, I do remember," Aang acknowledged, "I also remember you not giving me an answer either way."

Without even pausing in her fiddling with the lock, Mai replied simply, "Well, now you have it."

Frustrated, Aang looked to Zuko for answers. The young Avatar was only too happy to clarify. "She was trying to kill us and, in the process, we were trapped in a cave-in because your sister's nuts!"

That statement managed to only confuse Aang further and snap Mai upright. She rolled her eyes at Zuko. "I see you're still being a baby about that," she remarked smartly.

"I'm like that with near death experiences!" Zuko snapped back irascibly.

"I'd like to give you a near death experience," Mai grumbled.

"I'm sorry," Aang replied, not only stunned by the level of irritation Zuko seemed to evoke in Mai but the awesome amount of hostility between them as well, "I'm confused. What happened again?"

"Azula was doing what she does best. We engaged them, things happened and we ended up trapped in a cave together," Mai sighed, resuming her work. "Zuko and I were temporarily separated from the group. We talked. We got to know one another. End of story."

"Got to know one another?" Aang parroted, "What does that mean?"

"She means that she kissed me!" Zuko announced rather smugly.

Yet again, Mai snapped a withering glower through the tight bars of Zuko's cell while Aang sputtered in disbelief. "Only because I thought I was going to die and was desperate," she replied sharply, "And don't act like you weren't begging for it to happen, Zuko!"

"Um…well…okay…" Aang squeaked, clearly disturbed by their fragmented revelations and the mental images they provoked, "That was so much more than I wanted to know." He began slowly backing to the other side of the cavern. "I can see you two have a lot of issues to work out between you," he continued carefully, "So…um…I'm just going to stand way over here where stuff still makes sense."

"Why did you tell him that?" Mai muttered as she finally located the mechanism to flip the lock open, "Now he's going to get the wrong impression about us."

"What do you care?" Zuko retorted indifferently, "What's between you and Aang anyway?"

His arrogant nonchalance left Mai grinding her teeth. She wanted, more than anything, to wipe his satisfied smirk off of his face. "You really want to know?" she goaded.

"I asked, didn't I?"

"Aang I and were going to be married once." As Zuko sputtered into stunned silence over her reply, the lock, at long last, popped open and fell uselessly to the ground. Aang exploded in a loud cheer as Mai swung open the door to Zuko's cell and was presented with yet more work.

Seemingly impervious to Zuko's seething glare of jealousy, Mai squared her shoulders, sighed and got to it.

Iroh had kept his word.

He had given the Dai Li agent the remedy to the white jade poison as he'd promised, but then he'd proceeded to bind, gag and stuff the man into a small closet after he had. It wasn't as if he'd had much choice in the matter. There was little point in extracting information from someone if that information couldn't be put to good use.

Dressed in the agent's formal robes, which were much too tight and much too long, Iroh kept his head lowered, thoroughly concealing his face behind the wide brim of his hat, as he made his way down into the bowels of the palace's prison hold. He had studied the Dai Li's movements well enough to know that he would never pass for one at close range. With that in mind, Iroh kept to the shadows, moving through the looming corridors like a murky phantom.

Iroh had learned from his reluctant contact that Aang and Zuko were being kept in a web of tunnels located directly beneath the palace prison hold. According to his captive audience, there was a concealed entrance there that would lead him down into the catacombs. Unfortunately, the tunnel would only take him so far. To reach Aang, he would need the help of an Earthbender to go the rest of the way. As a result, liberating his nephew's friends had become just as much a priority to Iroh as rescuing Aang.

His furtive advance into the palace's mysterious recesses went virtually undetected. Ba Sing Se's secret police seemed too wildly preoccupied with other matters to notice the overweight Dai Li agent that flashed in and out of the shadows. Their unexplained urgency piqued Iroh's curiosity, but he had little time to investigate the apparent emergency. Instead, he concentrated on being thankful that the corridors were practically abandoned as he tiptoed through them.

When he finally made it to the prison hold, silence echoed profoundly through the empty cell bars. He almost turned back. The possibility that he'd been wrong about the teenagers being brought there at all flashed through his mind. He stood there, pondering whether or not there was another network of cells located in the palace when the sound of crumpling steel reached his ears. Curious and alarmed, he advanced forward quickly and discovered Toph, Sokka and Katara stepping over the twisted remains of their cell door. Iroh stopped short, his eyes flaring wide in surprise.

"That's a very neat trick," he observed with a low whistle, "Will you be teaching the Avatar that as well?"

"General Iroh!" the three exclaimed in surprise, relaxing in their defenses immediately when they realized who he was. "We almost didn't recognize you," Sokka followed up in a rushing breath of relief, "How did you know we were down here? How did you find us?"

"When you didn't come back last night, I was worried," he explained. "Your neighbor told me that he had seen the Dai Li at your apartment last night and again this morning."

"The Dai Li was going through our stuff?" Katara recoiled in disgust.

"That's just wrong," Toph muttered with a shake of her head.

"We have a neighbor?" Sokka wondered blankly.

"There's plenty of time to explain on the way," Iroh replied urgently, "For now, we must hurry. I don't know why the guards have chosen to take a break, but I don't suppose that will last for too long."

"But wait…" Toph cried, falling into step behind him as did Katara and Sokka, "What about Aang and Zuko? We don't know where the Dai Li took them!"

"I know where they are," Iroh assured her with a brief glance over his shoulder, "and that's something you can help me with."

Sokka paused mid-step and regarded Iroh's retreating back with a brief, admiring stare. "Are you the most awesome old guy I've ever known or what?"

"So what's the plan after we get Zuko and Aang back," Katara asked, watching with a confused scowl as the general began feeling along the prison walls. "Do you have a plan for us getting in to see the Earth King?"

Iroh looked at her sharply. "We're not going to see the Earth King," he responded quickly, "It's too dangerous!"

"But…but we have to," Sokka protested, "The Earth King needs to know that Long Feng and the Dai Li are corrupt. They don't have his best interests at heart. If we don't tell him, then no one will!"

"Not to mention that we still need his help with the Invasion," Toph reminded him. "He might be clueless, but his army is massive."

"Children, it's good to have hope," Iroh prefaced carefully, "and I do not wish to crush that, but… Both my nephew and I have been exposed as Fire Nation. Because of your relationship with us, it's likely that the Earth King will not trust you. There is no guarantee that he will listen to anything you say."

"We have to take that chance," Sokka insisted firmly. "We have to try."

The moment Azula strode onto the command deck of the massive drill, every soldier and Firebender came to immediate attention. No one dared to make mention to the previous night's unfortunate and humiliating events. No one dared to provoke the unpredictable princess' ire. Instead, the sea of crimson adorned officers parted for her in uniformed swiftness as she made a determined march toward the man at the helm of their project, War Minister Ching.

"What's our status?" she demanded abruptly.

"The drill is holding up marvelously, Princess," Ching espoused happily, "Better than I or your father ever expected."

"And the Earthbenders? Have they given us any trouble?"

"There are constant attempts to slow us down and impede our progress, of course," War Minister Ching scoffed dismissively, "but they have all failed. In fact, the damage to the hull is practically nonexistent and, better still, we're almost through the outer wall."

Azula's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, though she offered the war minister not a single bit of praise over his success. "How much longer?" she barked.

"Less than half an hour," he said, "Ten minutes, highness, likely less. Once we have tunneled through completely, breeching the remainder of their defenses shouldn't be a problem."

Mere seconds after he made the claim, however, a single soldier cautiously approached them. He offered a low, respectful bow to Azula. "May you have long life and prosperity, Princess," he murmured deferentially.

"You may speak," Azula granted.

"The Earthbenders are beginning to fall back and refortify the wall beyond the drill's tip," he informed them.

"What?" Azula hissed in displeasure.

"It is something minor, Princess Azula, I assure you," the War Minister replied breezily, but with a pointed glare at the soldier. "We expected that they would attempt to do something like this. The fact that they are so preoccupied with patching the wall and not stopping us is proof that they are defenseless. Their efforts will cause a minimal delay and nothing more."

"I won't take any chances," Azula said. "Once we're inside the wall, I want Firebenders dispatched immediately. Take no prisoners." However, when the soldier failed to scurry away to carry out her order, but instead lingered hesitantly, Azula fixed him with a withering glare. "Is there something you failed to understand?" she clipped.

"My men recently received a request for a temporary ceasefire from the Earth Kingdom command, Princess," the soldier explained.

"A ceasefire?" Azula scoffed, "Why would I be interested in that?"

The soldier cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The Earth Kingdom Commander feels that he has something that you want and he wonders if he could make a trade."

"A trade for what exactly?" Azula prompted in a bored tone.

The soldier took a wise step backwards before revealing in a reluctant tone, "The Avatar, Princess."

When Zuko's chains finally fell away and landed with a muted thud at his feet, he breathed his first deep and unrestricted breath since being taken captive. And then, he did something he seldom did. He said "thank you." Both Mai and Aang regarded him in stunned silence, momentarily taken aback by his abrupt change in demeanor.

"Are you still suffering the after effects of what the Dai Li did to you?" Aang wondered suspiciously.

"I'm being serious," Zuko insisted in an aggravated huff of breath. "I know I haven't been the best company the last hour or so. I've been worried and frustrated and I took that out on you both." He turned fully towards a silent Mai. "Especially you," he emphasized, "I've been a jerk and I'm sorry. If it weren't for you, I'd still be in that metal box over there. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate what you did for me."

"Wow…Zuko…" Mai replied blankly, "I don't know what to say."

"You can say we're okay," he told her.

"Why wouldn't we be?" she wondered indifferently.

"Mai, come on!" Zuko burst out in a flash of frustration. "I'm trying to be honest right now. You could _try_ and meet me half way."

"Should I go back over to the other side of the cave now?" Aang wondered. "I don't want to interrupt you two if you're having a moment."

"Yeah, could you?" "We're _not_ having a moment!" Zuko and Mai answered simultaneously. Aang stared at them, his eyes wide with uncertainty. He had the distinct impression that if he moved, Mai would throw something at him and if he didn't, Zuko would launch him on the other side of the cave. Luckily for him, Zuko's irritation was quickly diverted to Mai as a result of her vehement response.

He glared at her. Mai glared back. Still reluctant to move, but recognizing the practicality of minding his own business, Aang rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and began to whistle.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Zuko demanded belligerently. "I just _apologized_ to you!"

Ignoring his mercurial mood shift altogether, Mai knelt down and began working on the lock to his shackles. "Were you expecting me to fall all over you because you did?" she queried dryly. She gave him a sharp yank. "Stop fidgeting so much!"

Zuko obeyed the harsh command though he did quite a bit of grumbling over the fact. "Excuse me for expecting some kind of reaction!" he stressed hotly. "I thought we'd come to an understanding about things."

"An understanding about what?" she sighed impatiently. "I told you I didn't know what to say and I don't."

He glared down at her bent head. "You're not even half trying," he accused her.

She flashed him a look. "What are you so unhappy about, Zuko?" Mai demanded shortly, "Is it because I didn't simper and bat my eyes at you like some idiot because you managed basic civility or is it because you apologized and didn't get one back?"

"It would be nice," Zuko muttered.

Mai flipped a dismissive hand before resuming her effort to pick the lock to his shackles. "I have nothing to apologize for," she told him.

"What?"

"I don't," she insisted. "You made an assumption about me and you were wrong. You should be thankful I'm not holding a grudge."

"What?"

"Are you having difficulty understanding?" she asked, "Am I speaking too quickly for you?"

"It's wasn't like I was being unfair to you!" Zuko retorted. "You were _willingly_ following someone you knew was evil and dangerous! What else was I supposed to think?"

"I don't care what you think," Mai returned in a disinterested tone, finally snapping the locking mechanism on the shackles so that they fell away from his wrists. "It shouldn't take me long to do the ankles," she announced as she turned her attention there, "Once I'm finished, we can get out of here."

"You're so full of bison crap!" Zuko accused, at which Aang began whistling even louder, "You act like you don't care, but we both know that you do, Mai!"

"Blow off, Zuko," she replied tartly.

"No, _you_ blow off! Did you ever stop to consider how it made me feel when I asked you to come with me and you said no?" he demanded fervently.

She speared him with a mutinous expression, purposely yanking his shackles so that they cut into his tender ankle flesh. Zuko yelped in pain, but Mai didn't display the slightest bit of contrition. "So you were a jerk to me because your pride was hurt?" she surmised as she resumed her task, "How very mature of you."

"Does anyone care that I'm standing _right_ _here_?" Aang emphasized in exasperation, "I don't want to know all this!" Unsurprisingly, however, his lamentation was generally ignored.

"Well, at least I'm not afraid to have feelings!" Zuko accused her vehemently, "I'm not afraid to admit that I _care_ about you, Mai!"

Suddenly, a click echoed through the cave and the last of Zuko's binds dropped to the ground. Mai straightened and regarded him with an inscrutable expression. "You're free," she pronounced matter-of-factly, "Can we go now?"

"That's it?" Zuko balked incredulously, "I tell you I'm sorry…I tell you I care about you and that's all you have to say?"

"Can we go now, _please_?" she rephrased gamely.

Zuko released a low, rumbling growl, but rather than stomping off in fury and bending out a massive hole in the wall as both Mai and Aang expected, Zuko instead abruptly grabbed hold of Mai's wrist and yanked her into the circle of his arms an awkward hug. For several, suspended seconds the only detectable sound in the cavern was the vaguest dripping of water landing on the rocks below. Aang cringed, dreading the almost sure humiliation that Zuko had coming.

At first, Mai held herself absolutely rigid against him. Her arms were extended outward and her back arched as if she'd just been run through with a current of electricity. She craned a dubious look towards Zuko. "What do you think you're doing?"

He pinched his eyes shut and gripped her tighter. "I'm hugging you."

"I know that, you idiot! _Why_ are you hugging me?"

"Because this is what you do when you care about someone," Zuko explained evenly, "You don't just _say_ the words, you _show_ it…even when they're being difficult. My friends taught me that."

"But I just told you to blow off," she reminded him.

"Don't remind me! I'm choosing to ignore it."

"Zuko…"

"I'm not letting go until you hug me back," he informed her staunchly, "So deal with it."

He prepared himself for a reactive shove, perhaps even a jetting knife attack. Mai was certainly capable. However, the gentle kiss she gave him came completely out of left field and left Zuko more staggered than any blow would have accomplished. The contact was fleeting and soft, but unquestionably intense as well. Literally, it was little more than a chaste peck, but to the contact went much deeper than that. He had opened up his heart to someone and had received the same gift in return.

When Mai and Zuko met one another's eyes again, they were both smiling tentatively and Aang was staring at them both in open-mouthed shock. He bounced a speechless look between the two of them, stammering halting demands for an explanation that wasn't forthcoming. For Mai and Zuko, it was like he wasn't even standing there.

"Even though you're really annoying and a pain in the butt," Mai began in sighing succinctness, "I care about you too, Zuko."

Upon her confession, Zuko suddenly flashed Aang a triumphant scowl. "Did you hear what she just said?" he demanded crossly.

"You mean you remembered I was over here? Wow."

Ignoring that, Zuko stated with implacable firmness, "She's mine! You got it?"

Aang threw up his hands in surrender. "You'll get no argument out of me, buddy!"

Mai shrugged out of Zuko's arms with an eye roll. "If you two have finished establishing property rights, maybe someone," she emphasized with a pointed look towards Zuko, "could concentrate on getting us out of here." The sentence hadn't even completely left her mouth before the wall behind her suddenly disintegrated into a pile of pebbly rubble.

"Not bad," she commended Zuko in the aftermath of the blast. She patted a fine powder of dust from her hair. "But a little warning might be nice next time."

Zuko lifted his shoulders in a bewildered shrug. "It wasn't me."

"No," Toph announced, stepping out from the thick clouds of dust, "it was me!" Within seconds, Sokka, Katara and Iroh materialized behind her. Iroh quickly rushed forward to embrace his nephew while Sokka, Katara and Toph locked their suspicious attention on Mai. Sensing the Water Tribe siblings' mistrust, Toph stomped a boulder up from the ground and held it suspended so that it hovered mid-air in blatant threat. "Step away from our friend right now!" she ordered.

"You guys, calm down," Aang soothed, "Mai's a friend of mine. She's with us now."

"Since when?" Katara snorted in shocked incredulity.

"Since always," he answered.

Katara didn't know whether to pity his naiveté or slap some sense into him. "Aang, I know you probably don't realize this, but this girl has attacked us! She runs with your sister!"

Instead of being alarmed by that revelation, however, Aang regarded Mai with a proudly affectionate smile, one that did not escape Katara's notice at all. "She _used_ to run with my sister, Katara," he murmured meaningfully, "But not anymore." He glanced back over at the dubious Waterbender. "You can trust her."

"Well, if Aang trusts you then that's good enough for me," Sokka declared, "Any friend of his is a friend of ours. Welcome to Team Avatar, Mai."

"Maybe we can save the welcome wagon for another time, Sokka," Toph interrupted brusquely, "We still need to get to the Earth King, remember? Long Feng is going to discover we're missing soon."

"Not as soon as you think," came Aang's mumbled rejoinder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toph demanded.

"We have a problem," Zuko explained flatly. "Azula's in the city. She's probably attacking as we speak."

As his friends fell into a chorus of disbelieving guffaws over that revelation, Iroh merely grunted. "That explains why the Earth Kingdom forces seem to be mobilizing," he remarked, "Getting to you was far too easy. Now I know why."

"Then why are we just standing here? We definitely don't have time to waste!" Katara cried, "Ba Sing Se is the last Earth Kingdom stronghold! We can't let it fall!"

"Wait a minute!" Mai cried as they all started to file out, "I know better than anyone how dangerous Azula is, but what about your bison, Zuko? Aren't you going to go after him? He's still somewhere in the city!"

"Appa?" Katara, Toph and Sokka chorused simultaneously. "What is she talking about, Zuko?" Katara demanded in a trembling whisper directed at Zuko, "Is Appa still alive?"

"Yeah, he's alive. Apparently, Azula had him and Mai risked her freedom to bring him back to me," Zuko revealed to his friends proudly, "I have some idea where he might be. The Dai Li have a secret headquarters beneath a lake not too far from here. I think there were a couple of rooms down there big enough to hold Appa."

"Then you have to go get him," Sokka urged him.

"Now's not the time," the Airbender protested, "We have to stop Azula. Appa's going to have to wait."

"No. Go get him now, Zuko," Toph pressed when he would have protested further; "We've been separated from him long enough now. Besides, who knows what he's been through with Azula?"

"Nothing good, I assure you," Mai mumbled.

"You see?" Toph cried. "You have to get him! He needs you!"

"There's no time! What about Azula?" Zuko reiterated forcefully, "And the Earth King? You guys know how badly I want Appa back. I need to see him for myself and know he's okay, but…I still have a job to do. Azula has to be stopped and someone needs to speak to the Earth King. He has to know what's going on in the city and about Long Feng."

"Zuko, you can't be in three places at one time," Katara reasoned.

"We'll have to split up then," Sokka surmised, "There's no other choice. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Sokka's right," Aang agreed, "We'll accomplish more apart than together."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Zuko prodded carefully.

"It's the best alternative we have," Aang said, "You can't leave Appa. It would be one thing if you didn't know he was in the city, but… This may be your only opportunity to get him back. With Azula in the city, there's no guarantee you'll be able to get to him later." And, because he knew they couldn't afford to waste anymore time in further debate, he looked over to Sokka, the group's strategist, and asked, "So what should be our course of action?"

"You and General Iroh should go and head off Azula," Sokka decided. "You guys know her weaknesses and you'll probably be the best match she has until Zuko shows up. Mai, go with Zuko to get Appa. He's going to need someone to have his back and you seem like you've got it. Katara, Toph and I will find the Earth King and tell him what's going on. Hopefully, we'll be able to get him and his army behind us and then, Azula won't stand a chance."

Katara nibbled her lip in anxious uncertainty. "I don't know if I like this plan, Sokka," she said, her eyes trained on Aang the entire time she spoke, "I hate the idea of splitting up. Nothing good ever happens when we do."

Sokka hooked an arm around his sister's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Katara, it will be fine," he told her, "There's no way Azula is going to be able to stand against us and an entire Earth Kingdom army. That girl is going down today, once and for all. I can feel it."

Long Feng was surprised when, instead of sending an envoy in her stead, Princess Azula of the Fire Nation came to meet with him personally. Six Fire Nation soldiers preceded her, in two neat rows and dressed in full battle regalia. Their measured footfalls echoed across the open expanse with a rhythmic cadence. It was the first time in a century that Firebenders had been permitted to be on the wall and so, their presence was met with a fair amount of dread and suspicion.

When the Firebenders came to a standstill, they parted their ranks, revealing their commander and princess who stood directly behind them. For a split second, Long Feng was unable to conceal his dubious surprise. She was _nothing_ like he'd expected. She was small and slender and incredibly young.

Rumors had circulated throughout the Earth Kingdom concerning the Princess' cunning and chilling efficiency. She had impressed her father enough with her military prowess to be ranked even over his generals. Her propensity towards swift and total destruction was legendary within their territory and yet, when Long Feng saw her in person for the first time, he couldn't help but snort inwardly. This was the person who had all of the Earth Kingdom trembling in fear; _this_ was the dreaded Princess Azula…nothing more than a fresh-faced teenage girl. He was both amused and repulsed by the discovery.

"I am told you have the Avatar," she clipped brusquely by way of greeting.

"Yes," Long Feng confirmed. "He is currently my prisoner for crimes against the state. However, I am willing to give him over into your hands."

"Are you now? And what must I give in return?"

"This is how it will be, Princess. You will leave Ba Sing Se immediately," Long Feng ordered implacably, "We can agree upon a desired location and I shall deliver the Avatar to you. Or, you can continue on here and persist in your fruitless efforts to move past the wall. It is your choice."

"And suppose I decided to go with a third option?" Azula queried with a half smirk.

"A third option?" Long Feng echoed with an impatient air, "And what would that be?"

The foundation upon which they stood was suddenly jolted with a rocking blast. The sturdy façade of the wall trembled violently as a large portion of it swiftly disintegrated and spilled to the ground in a cloud of dust, debris, and chunky rubble. When the haze finally settled and line of sight was cleared, the giant hole in Ba Sing Se's legendary wall was revealed. There was no longer anything separating the city from the Firebenders who wished to gain excess. Fire Nation forces rolled from an opening at the front of the drill in heavy artillery tanks. They cut through the vulnerable Earthbender forces on the ground below with ridiculous ease. Agonized cries and the deafening sounds of fiery explosions split the air.

The sight was so horrifying that, at first, Long Feng and his forces were too stunned to react. Unfortunately, by the time Long Feng recovered, barking the order for the Fire Nation princess to be seized, her soldiers had already thrown up a protective screen of fire around her. Earthbenders and Dai Li fell back from the awesome blaze, shielding their faces against the baking heat that radiated off the flames. Only when they stopped pressing her did Azula give the order to retract the fiery wall.

Once that was done, the Fire Nation troops standing behind her had more than tripled. With the use of their grappling hooks, they had scaled the part of the wall still standing and now more than three dozen newly arrived Firebenders joined their princess' already elite ranks. Though Long Feng didn't react to the sudden army behind her, Azula could see in his eyes that he knew he was outnumbered and outmatched.

"Now, _I_ am going to tell you how it will be," she declared, "I want the Avatar and I will have him. I want this city and I will have it. All who stand in my way _will_ be crushed." She walked the line of the Earthbenders and elite secret police set before her, looking each man directly in the eye as she passed by. Some of them glared back at her with hatred, some with outright fear, but none dared to oppose her, not when the anguished cries of their comrades below reverberated through their ears.

"Today, Ba Sing Se will fall," Azula predicted confidently, "Some will make the foolish attempt to resist me and they will perish for that. I have very little patience for stupidity or the so-called honor that drives men! So, the question you must now ask yourself is…do you want to be _honorable_ or do you want to live?" She faced the Earth Kingdom forces with the confidence of a full grown military general. "Ba Sing Se already belongs to me. For you, it is a simple matter of accepting the inevitable. You can either live or you can die. I leave the choice to you, gentlemen."

Before Long Feng could anticipate what was happening, he was abruptly flanked by two Firebenders and forced to his knees in a humiliating act of obeisance before the Fire Nation princess. Though he struggled against them and sputtered orders for the Dai Li to make an attack, not a single one stepped forward. And with that solitary act of defiance, Azula had her answer. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Good," she sighed, "I'm glad you men see it my way."


	42. Chapter Forty One

**Chapter Forty-One**

There was positively no doubt it was the Earth King's door.

First of all, it was the most impressive door any of them had ever seen…large, deeply green with gilded edging and designs. Secondly…it was guarded by two very burly, very capable looking Earthbenders. With sharp, straight-forward stares they scanned the corridor beyond, stoic and alert. Had Toph not "seen" them first, the results could have been disastrous. The two gave off the impression that they would strike first and ask questions later. Fortunately, having been forewarned of their presence due to Toph's uncanny sight, the teens had been able to conceal themselves behind a nearby corner to work out a course of action.

"So what's the plan?" Katara hissed in a whisper.

"Those guys look pretty tough, so I suppose a polite request to see the Earth King is out," Sokka reasoned.

"Yeah, that's out," Toph agreed without preamble, "We're going to have to take an aggressive approach on this."

Katara frowned at Toph's nebulous phrasing. "An aggressive approach?" she echoed blankly, "What does that mean?"

Toph gave the ground two sharp stomps and a split second later the crunch of shifting earth could be heard, followed by the startled cries of the two guardsmen as they were catapulted high into the air. Sokka and Katara watched as the hapless guards created a yelping arc through the sky, cringing inwardly when they crashed through the roof of the palace with discordant cries.

"Oh, I see. Yeah…" Katara drawled slowly, "that was pretty aggressive."

"Well, you didn't want them to come back, did you?" Toph retorted waspishly, "Next time, you can come up with a better strategy."

"Um…next time?" Katara gulped.

"More inside," Toph clarified, right before she stomped up a large, misshapen rock from the ground and sent it crashing into the heavy double doors of the Earth King's sanctuary. "Let's get to it, Sugar Queen!"

Pandemonium exploded. The first wave of Earthbenders found themselves swept back in a crashing wall of water. Those who managed to avoid Katara's liquid onslaught, pressed forward and launched their earthen missiles with rapid-fire speed. The teens retreated, taking cover behind Toph's rock shield before charging in for a second assault.

They swiftly winded a determined path through a shower of rock. The missiles that weren't disintegrated by Toph were knocked to pieces with powerful swings from Sokka's club. They dashed and darted out from under the responding earthbending attacks, relying heavily on Toph's ability to sense an opponent's move before it was made so that they could cut a weaving course towards the Earth King.

Above the scuffle, they were vaguely aware of his incensed bellowing for more guards. But, because they were too intent upon reaching him in one piece, the teens paid little heed to the king's belligerent displeasure. Unfortunately, just when they were within a few feet of his throne with a pile of disoriented Earthbenders in their wake, fresh reinforcements arrived.

Sokka, Katara and Toph barely had time to process the incredible relief over finally setting eyes on the Earth King or even entertain woeful surprise over how incredibly young he appeared, because it looked like they were in for yet another fight. However, as more guards spilled into the spacious throne room, Sokka recognized that further fighting was not the answer. Rather than engaging them, he let his club fall to the ground and threw up his hands in surrender.

"Your majesty," Sokka began respectfully, careful to keep his eyes trained on the king and not the barrage of soldiers moving in to flank them, "we didn't come here to fight you. That's not what we want. We're here as your friends and allies."

The declaration surprised the Earth King enough to stave off the pressing attack from his guards, but he was not the least bit convinced by Sokka's reassurance. "Friends?" he scoffed dubiously, "You have the audacity to call yourself my friends when you have stormed my palace, destroyed and defaced my property, attacked my guards and invaded my private, inner sanctum? Are you insane?"

"He does have a point," Toph side-cracked.

"Your highness, please listen to us," Katara implored, "My brother is telling you the truth. We are not your enemies!"

"Listen to her," Toph insisted, "You have bigger problems than us right now. In fact, we've been trying to talk to you for the last week, but Long Feng has given us nothing but the runaround."

"With good reason," the Earth King mumbled. "Look how much damage you've done," he continued, gesturing to the groaning heap of Earthbenders and broken piles of rubble beyond them, "and all of that in a matter of minutes!"

"This isn't how it looks!" Sokka rushed out, "It's…it's complicated. We never would have gone to such lengths if we didn't have truly urgent business to discuss with you!"

"Yes, I'm sure," the king assimilated dryly, "Nonetheless, I will give you the opportunity to defend yourself…once I've heard Long Feng's side of things, of course."

"Great," Sokka replied in a tone that was less than enthused.

With an aggravated sigh, the Earth King turned to the attendant at his right and hissed in an under-breath, "Have Long Feng brought to me at once. I want to know the reason behind this disruption."

"A thousand pardons, sire, but I'm afraid Long Feng is unavailable at the moment," the attendant murmured.

The king frowned. "What do you mean he's unavailable?"

The attendant tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "There is a small problem on the outer wall, majesty, and Long Feng is attending to that," he explained vaguely. "He should be along shortly. I'll send a message for him to return to the palace as soon as his business is completed."

Though the conversation had been carried on in surreptitious whispers, Toph heard every word. "You're going to be waiting a really long time then," she interrupted boldly, "What your people aren't telling you is that the Fire Nation is right on your doorstep and Long Feng is scrambling to keep them out as we speak."

The Earth King regarded her over the brim of his neat spectacles. "What did you say to me?"

"She's telling you the truth, your highness," Sokka confirmed, "Ba Sing Se is under attack. If you don't act now, the city could fall altogether."

"That is absurd!" the king snorted. "If the city were under attack I would know it. Furthermore, why would Firebenders attack my city at all? We have no quarrel with the Fire Nation."

Toph snorted at his reasoning. "You're making a joke, right?"

"Young lady, do I look as though I mean to amuse you?" the King queried haughtily.

"We don't know what to think really. You act as if we haven't been at war with the Fire Nation for the last hundred years," Katara replied as if that fact should have been as ridiculous to him as it was to her. Only…it wasn't.

"We're not at war with the Fire Nation," the king scoffed dismissively, "Where would you stumble across an idea so preposterous?" The teenagers gaped at his incredulous response, but it was the severe lack of amusement from his attendants that caught hold of the Earth King's attention and held it. He turned swiftly to the servant at his right, spearing the man with a deeply speculative stare. "It…it _is_ preposterous, isn't it?" he solicited a little desperately.

The attendant stumbled through his response. "H-Highness, I think it's best you speak with Long Fe—,"

"One hundred years," Sokka interrupted bluntly as the servant stumbled around for his evasion, "That's how long we've been at war with the Fire Nation. They have conquered nearly _everything_. Ba Sing Se is the last remaining stronghold in the Earth Kingdom. The Air Nomads have been completely destroyed. There's only _one_ left…the Avatar. And the Water Tribes…don't even get me started on those."

"I can't believe what you're telling me…" the Earth King replied, shaking his head in denial.

"You _have_ to believe it!" Toph urged him, "The fate of the entire world depends on it!"

"We're here with the Avatar," Katara piped in, "He can help you stand against the Fire Nation, but he can't drive them back on his own. If we band together to defeat them, it will send a message not only to the citizens of Ba Sing Se, but the entire world."

"You're here with the Avatar?" the king burst out. He cut a stunned look over to Sokka. "Are _you_ the Avatar?" he breathed reverently.

"No, not me!" Sokka corrected swiftly. "He's not with us right now. He had to go rescue his pet bison…it's a long story," he amended in a fervid rush of breath, "The point is, if you're anxious about standing up to the Fire Nation, you won't have to do it alone."

Despite his uncertainty and their apparent sincerity, however, the Earth King was still reluctant to trust the band of rogue teenagers, especially when his attendants were urging him to keep calm and wait for Long Feng. "I must listen to my advisors," the King decided finally. "What you are telling me is too fantastic to contemplate. You say you're my friends, but you attack me. You say you're with the Avatar, but he's nowhere to be seen. I have no reason to believe anything you say and every reason to trust my Grand Secretary. I'm sure if the world scene were _that_ serious, Long Feng would have informed me."

"You're making a mistake," Sokka warned him.

"I'm afraid I'll have to detain you," the Earth King continued as his benders moved forward to slap earthen manacles around their wrists, "At least until this matter is resolved fully."

However, before they could be carted back down to the very dungeons they'd just escaped from, the Earth King's foremost general came striding into the room at an urgent pace. He was so agitated that he didn't even seem to notice the wreckage surrounding him. Forsaking convention and the usual channels altogether, the general strode up onto the royal dais and tugged the Earth King to his feet.

"Majesty, we must evacuate you immediately," he announced gravely, "We must get you to a safe place! There isn't much time!"

"General How, what is the meaning of this?" the king blustered as his attendants exploded into a flurry of activity, "What has happened?"

"We're under attack, sire," How informed him, "A Fire Nation army marches on the palace as we speak!"

Horrified, the king whipped a startled glance to the three teens he'd just placed under arrest. Katara and Sokka regarded him with open sympathy while Toph just shrugged. "So…" she drawled rather smugly, "do you believe us now?"

"Why is it every time I'm with you I end up in a dank cave?" Mai complained darkly.

"Hey! I helped you find more knives, didn't I?" he reminded her.

Mai grunted. "That's because you were hoping to find out where I stash them," she replied dryly, "You're such a perv, Zuko."

Zuko tossed her a look over his shoulder, aggravated because he couldn't completely deny that charge. "You could have gone with Aang and General Iroh."

Surprisingly, she smiled at his cross rejoinder, amused and endeared by his crabbiness. "I could have," she acknowledged with a shrug, "But, I wanted to come with you." The candid admission quickly sweetened Zuko's sour disposition. He allowed himself to smile back at her for the briefest of seconds before returning his full attention to the task ahead.

Finding the entrance to the Dai Li's secret headquarters had been no small feat for the young Avatar. The manhole had been carefully concealed below ground. So, in order for Zuko to locate it, he'd had to rely on the non-perfected technique of sensory sight that he had learned from Toph. His initial attempts had not proved very productive, for which Mai had teased him quite mercilessly. He'd scowled and grumped over her laughter at his expense while being secretly pleased that she cared enough to rib him at all. Only when Mai suggested that they find an alternate route inside did Zuko's pride rebel. The thought of failing, _yet again, _was something he would not even contemplate. Within moments, he found the entrance and he and Mai lowered themselves inside.

Below ground it was damp and cold and the interior of the caverns smelled vaguely of mildew. Mai pressed a handkerchief to her nose as she and Zuko crept through the corridors. She carefully stepped over the sprawling puddles of stagnant water that had collected from the dripping pipes overhead and took immense care not to brush up against the walls as they advanced. Zuko couldn't help but smirk over her meticulous efforts to keep clean.

"You really are a girly girl, aren't you?" he observed wryly. In the last few months, he'd grown so accustomed to Katara's "roll up your sleeves" nature that Mai's fastidious demeanor was both intriguing and amusing.

"It has nothing to do with being a girl," Mai retorted from behind her handkerchief, "I happen to have issues with filth…and awful smells." She shuddered when she noted an unidentified substance oozing from a crevice in the wall. "Ew, this is so disgusting."

"Girly girl," Zuko concluded in a matter-of-fact tone. He received a shove in his back for the response, but when he turned a glance back at Mai, he found her lips curved in a small smile despite her narrowed eyes.

He was still warming inwardly over that smile when they turned down the long corridor Zuko hoped would lead to the larger cells and found themselves face to face with a small battalion of smartly dressed women, all wearing identical, vacant smiles. Their brilliant, white teeth sparkled in the murk. Yet, despite what was meant to be a welcoming expression, their smiles seemed entirely out of place and mildly sinister. Both Zuko and Mai fell back a reflexive step as the ladies advanced.

"I am Ju Dee," they announced in unison, "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."

Mai tugged furtively on Zuko's sleeve and leaned into his ear to whisper, "This is really creepy."

"You're telling me," he hissed back.

"You are trespassing," the women announced in a united and agreeable tone, "That is not permitted Ba Sing Se. Please allow us to escort you back the way you came."

"I'm only here for my bison," Zuko said, attempting to sidle around them, "Let me find him and then I'll be on my way."

Smiles still fixed firmly in place, the Ju Dee took a uniformed, sideways step to block Zuko's path. "I'm afraid that is not permitted," they said amiably, "You must leave now. Perhaps, you would be interested in a tour of our historical city?"

"No, I wouldn't be interested in a tour!" Zuko snapped impatiently before stressing yet again, "I'm trying to get my bison back!"

"The candle isn't lighting for these ladies. Just walk past them," Mai advised, "What's the worst that can happen?"

Upon making the attempt to do move around them, however, Mai and Zuko found their wrists manacled in the iron grips of half a dozen Ju Dees. Though they didn't appear to want to cause either of the two young people pain, they were equally determined not to release them as well. Attempts to shake off their hold proved futile. And all the while, even as they closed in around the two teens in a chanting circle praising the wonders of Ba Sing Se, their wide, welcoming smiles remained.

"In Ba Sing Se there is order," they recited in unison, "In Ba Sing Se we have peace."

"I don't want to hurt them," Zuko told Mai as he struggled to twist free from their captors, "They don't know what they're doing!"

"Well, you need to do something," Mai replied desperately as their rote litany rose to a crescendo, "They're not going to let us leave!"

Left with little choice, Zuko sucked in a deep breath and then exhaled a cylinder blast of wind that knocked back the clan of Ju Dee and almost sent Mai flying off with them. Zuko snagged hold of her hand before she could completely blow away in the sudden whip. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly.

"The price of befriending an Airbender, I guess," came her dry rejoinder. "Let's find Appa and get out of this dump!"

Seconds after they cleared the circle of fallen women, alarms began clanging throughout the labyrinth. Above the rhythmic ringing of the bells, Zuko could detect the faint sound of Appa's bellowing. Though it had been some time since he'd heard it and his beloved pet was still some distance away, Zuko could recognize Appa's sound anywhere. He would know it in his sleep.

"That's Appa!" he cried excitedly, racing towards the sound with Mai fast on his heels, "Follow me!"

Their progress, however, was abruptly impeded by a wall of Dai Li that seemed to materialize from the ceiling. The air was split with the sound of a dozen clay fists as they were launched at Zuko and Mai with deadly speed. Mai flung out a hail of knives, bursting them mid-air. Planting his staff firmly in the ground, Zuko kicked out alternating jets of air and fire from the soles of his feet.

The Dai Li skated forward on shafts of earth to surround them, gliding from beneath their attacks much the way an otter-seal glided through water. Zuko and Mai each took one side of the circle. The rapid glint of Mai's hidden knives lashed through the dimness, illuminated by Zuko's crackling fire whip.

"You didn't tell me you'd learned firebending!" she accused between knife throws, "We've been groping around down here in the virtual dark for twenty minutes! That would have been nice to know!"

Zuko gaped at her, momentarily distracted by the large metal pipes above their heads as well fighting off his latest assailant. "Uh, Mai…do you think we can talk about this later?"

She pinned an advancing Dai Li to the adjacent wall. "Whatever."

Suddenly, however, an ominous, low groan began to permeate the corridor. The fighting ceased as the realization slowly dawned that the sound was coming from the piping overhead. Zuko grabbed hold of Mai's arms and yanked her to safety moments before the water pressure he'd created within them burst the pipes wide open and the area was flooded. As hapless Dai Li were swept away in the tide, Zuko yanked Mai against him and surfed his way towards Appa's cell on the rising crest of water.

"We'd better find Appa and get out of here quick!" he told her, "I think I might have broken something vital!"

Mai eyed the incoming rush of water that slammed into the tunnel behind them. "Really? What gave it away?"

They discovered three doors at the far end of the tunnel. Upon throwing open the first two, Zuko found nothing. His chest ached painfully with each non-discovery. Zuko knew that if he didn't find Appa within the next few minutes, the chances were pretty great that he would never see his bison again.

Disheartened, he closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath before pushing open the last door and, to his everlasting relief and joy…he found Appa there. The bison was chained and obviously not in the best physical condition, but he was alive and that was all that mattered to Zuko. The relief that sliced through his body was incredible. His knees suddenly felt as if they were made of water and he leaned into a nearby wall, unsure of whether or not his legs would continue to support him.

He was so overwhelmed that he couldn't even close the distance between them immediately. His emotions veered wildly, from shock to relief to pure elation. The onslaught was so powerful that tears welled in Zuko's eyes. Even then, however, he was reluctant to step forward, wary that the second he did, Appa would disappear.

But, as Zuko tentatively sloshed through the rising water, Appa did not disappear. In fact, the bison let out a glad cry at the sight of him, one which was promptly rewarded when Zuko came racing forward and clobbered him in a rare show of affection. He fisted his hands into Appa's dense, white fur, gripping the animal as if he never intended to let him go.

"Oh, boy…" he breathed thickly, "You don't know how much I've missed you."

From her position near the door, Mai observed how the bison nuzzled Zuko, not just with affection, but contented relief as well. It was the calmest she'd seen the animal since Azula had captured him. "I think he does, Zuko," she murmured, "and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual."

Zuko tossed her a happy smile and Mai actually felt a funny jolt in her chest at the sight of it. "Thank you for bringing him back to me," he whispered profoundly.

"Thank _you_ for giving me something to do," came Mai's sardonic reply.

His grin widened at her reply. For the moment, he was impervious to the water rising around them. "When we get out of here and this war is finally over, I want to take you for a cup of tea at General Iroh's teashop."

Mai flicked him with a wry glance. "Are you asking me out on a date, Avatar Zuko?"

"Eh…y-yeah…" Zuko stammered awkwardly, "I…I think I am."

"Well, in that case," Mai replied with a small smile, "I _think_ I might say yes."

Earth Kingdom forces poured into the sprawling palace courtyard, but it was evident that a substantial amount of damage had already been done. Much of the area surrounding the royal court already lay in ruins and had been set on fire. In their march towards the center of Ba Sing Se, Fire Nation tanks had rolled through with very little impediment. Those with the courage to stand against them were quickly cut down. Frightened citizens flocked to the safety of the rooftops. Some found refuge in the winding tunnels far beneath the city. Still others surrendered entirely.

Crouched low behind the palace parapet, Aang and Iroh watched grimly as Fire Nation forces closed in. "This is bad," Aang mumbled to himself, "Where is Zuko?"

Iroh briefly pressed a reassuring hand to his nephew's shoulder. "The Avatar will be here," he announced with absolute conviction, "In the meantime, we must do what me must."

With a deep breath and a small prayer, the two swung into the thick of the battle. Earthbenders had already begun gathering to form an impenetrable wall between the Fire Nation army and the palace. They waited in unison for the precise moment to attack, conjuring up giant wedges of jagged rock. They surged from the ground at haphazard angles, shearing the grinding wheels of the incoming tanks and even overturning some entirely. Those that weren't disabled entirely merely flipped onto their other side and kept on coming. From concealed places atop the palace roof, large boulders were hurled towards the enemy forces below, continually scattering their neat formation.

For their part, Iroh and Aang did their utmost to rally behind Earth Kingdom forces, adding heavy waves of fire blasts to the barrage of earthen missiles being launched at the enemy. Unfortunately, their efforts were not met with gratitude. The moment it became apparent they were Firebenders, the two found themselves under attack as well, dodging a broken hail of earthen bits and deadly rock spikes.

"Wait!" Aang cried, waving his arms in a gesture of surrender, "We're on _your_ side!"

Iroh plucked hold of his collar, forcibly dragging him from underneath the crisscrossing attacks. "Now is not the time to reason with them, nephew! Run!" They found safety behind the sagging façade of a destroyed building, but relief was short-lived.

"I wonder why you even bother."

Aang's thought that the situation could not possibly get any worse crumbled with a groan of dread as his sister's laughing drawl sounded behind him. "Why am I not surprised to discover you're still alive? I'm beginning to think Father doesn't really _want_ you dead!" He and Iroh whipped around at the question, groaning anew when they saw that she was flanked, not only by Firebenders, but Dai Li as well. Azula smirked at their incredulous expressions. "Are you surprised to see that I have powerful allies as well?" she taunted, "Shame on you for underestimating me!"

"No, shame on _you_, Azula," Iroh told her, "You cannot win this battle. The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he will never allow you to take this city."

"Really?" she sighed indifferently, drawing herself back for attack, "Promises, promises, Uncle."

"It's important that you remain hidden here in the catacombs, majesty," General How instructed the Earth King, "This is a particular set of tunnels not event the Dai Li know about. There are food and supplies in the neighboring caverns. You will be safe."

"What about the rest of my subjects," the Earth King cried, "Will _they_ be safe?"

"My duty is to protect you, majesty," How evaded smoothly. "I will leave guards here with you, men that I trust and respect. They will be posted at all corners of the caverns and it is their sworn duty to safeguard you under any circumstances. If the city should fall, there is an underground tunnel which leads out of the city."

"I'm supposed to leave everyone behind?" the king balked. "What good is a kingdom without a king?"

"You're supposed to preserve your lineage so that the royal bloodline may continue," How told him.

Further disheartened by his general's words, the Earth King's shoulders fell slumped forward. "How could I have not known what was happening in my own kingdom?" he lamented, briefly burying his face in his hands, "I've failed my people. I've failed myself." He allowed himself a muffled moment of grief before finally lifting his head to regard Sokka, Katara and Toph. His eyes were brimming with tears of regret and contrition. "Forgive me for not believing earlier," he said, "Perhaps, I could have prevented all this if I had."

"There's very little you could have done," Toph told him. "Azula was already in the city. Our main objective was to warn you so that you could get to safety."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Katara said, "Long Feng was your advisor. You trusted him and believed what he told you."

"Besides, it's not like our actions were very trust inspiring anyway," Sokka acknowledged, "You had every right to be skeptical."

"That's no excuse," the Earth King muttered.

"You were a victim of Long Feng's web of lies just like the rest of us," Toph threw in, "You couldn't have known."

"But I am a respected ruler," the Earth King sighed despondently, "I come from a long line of powerful kings. I should have never allowed myself to be manipulated this way."

"The fault is entirely mine, majesty," General How murmured, his head bowed with regret. "This was _my_ misstep. I have never fully trusted Long Feng nor approved of the way he monopolizes and isolates you. I should have questioned his motives long before this. I should not have allowed him to take so much power for himself."

"You have no need to apologize, General How," the King told him. "The fault and responsibility is mine and mine alone. I have failed my people tremendously. Only the Avatar can help us now." He leveled Sokka with a steely look. "Do not let my city fall," he ordered.

"We're going to do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen," Sokka promised.

Azula's strike was not unexpected, but Iroh's sizzling breath of fire was. As she and her forces scrambled out from beneath the blanket of flames, Iroh and Aang made a mad dash for cover. They disappeared into the billowing swirls of smoke and dust choking the surrounding air and limiting the visibility on the battlefield. Though they had managed to shake Azula's pursuit in the confusion, they could still hear her enraged bellows coming at them through the haze.

The battleground became a source of baking heat. Breathing became an impossible task, sluggish and struggling. It was a chore just to drag the air, which was hot and condensed, into their lungs. Aang concentrated all his energy on taking in those fiery bursts of oxygen, keeping alive and staying close to his uncle. At one point, he wasn't even able to see the old man at all. When he turned back to scan for Iroh, that's when Aang heard his uncle cry out with a sudden yelp of pain.

Iroh crumpled to the ground in a wounded heap just as Aang reached his side. Reacting on pure instinct, Aang hooked his uncle underneath his arms and somehow managed to drag him to safety in a relatively quiet spot on the very edges of the combat zone.

Once he had achieved some modicum of calm, Aang quickly went to work at stripping open his uncle's robes so that he could assess the damage done by the random fire strike. "It's pretty bad," he sighed grimly, trying not to wince at the sight of his uncle's blistered and puckered flesh, "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Though his entire body throbbed with searing pain, Iroh was very careful not to reveal his level of discomfort. Already, he could see the look of sheer panic coming to Aang's eyes and he didn't want to frighten the boy further. Almost casually then, Iroh tipped a weak glance down at the angry, swollen laceration before collapsing back to the ground with a faint grunt. "I'll live," he decreed dismissively, "You should go on without me."

"I'm not leaving you here," Aang told him. "You're hurt bad and we both know it."

"You can't stay here."

"I won't leave you," Aang reiterated.

"What choice do you have?" Iroh rasped. "Aang, if Azula reaches the palace, then it will be over!"

"Uncle, please…I can't… Don't ask me to," Aang pleaded in a small tone.

Rather than let himself be swayed by his nephew's vulnerable beseeching, though there was no denying that his heart was breaking for the boy, the old Fire Nation general remained stubbornly firm. "You can! You will!"

Aang started to shake his head in refusal of that sharp command when he was suddenly splattered with a spray of gravel and dust. He glanced up just in time to see Suki, decked out in all her Kyoshi Warrior finery, snapping her metal fan closed, having just saved him from having his head taken clean off by a stray boulder. "I'll stay with him," she volunteered.

While Suki was entirely composed, Aang had a bit of difficulty regaining his power of speech. Blinking with shock, he demanded in a sputter, "Wh-Where did you come from?"

"Thanks for saving my life, Suki," she mocked playfully, "Oh, no problem, Aang."

"Thank you, Suki," he expressed graciously, "Now will you tell me what you're doing here?"

"Besides saving your life and trying to stay alive myself? Not much," she said. "I came here to warn Zuko that the Fire Nation princess had Appa," Suki explained, kneeling down beside him. She flicked a brief glance towards the battle going on beyond them. "I guess that's a moot point now, huh? I never expected to find this. When I got here, there was a gaping hole where the wall used to be. I pretty much walked right into the city."

"Azula moved quickly," Aang told her.

"And Zuko? Where is he right now?"

"Appa's here in the city and Zuko went after him. He should be here soon," Aang explained, "Sokka, Katara and Toph went to warn the Earth King about what's going on here."

"So what's the plan?" Suki asked.

"Aang will go after Azula," Iroh determined weakly, "and he will stop her from making any more progress."

"Uncle, I—,"

"Until the Avatar arrives, you are the only one who can hold her at bay!" Iroh insisted in a surprisingly strong tone. "Go after her. Leave me with your friend. I'll be fine."

Though he was reluctant to go along with the idea, Aang also could not refute the logic in his uncle's argument. He also knew he didn't have time to make the attempt either. "Keep him safe," he urged Suki grimly before leaning down to press a quick, affectionate kiss to Iroh's forehead. He bit his lower lip to still the awful trembling; wanting more than anything in that moment to present himself as a courageous man _to_ the most courageous man he had ever known in his life. "I'll be back for you, Uncle Iroh," he vowed.

Iroh smiled at him, careful to conceal his uncertainty when he whispered, "I know."


	43. Chapter Forty Two

**Chapter Forty-Two**

A fresh influx of Earth Kingdom warriors arrived on the scene just as the battle was beginning to turn in Azula's favor. They unexpectedly strengthened the front line and thwarted the Fire Nation's dogged attempts to press beyond the gates and storm the palace. Azula growled her frustration at the new development, narrowing her eyes as she recognized she would have to double her efforts in order to break down their defenses.

The intel she had "coerced" from Long Feng had not been entirely accurate. He had led her to believe that most of his forces were already gathered at the wall. "The palace," he had told her, "would be virtually defenseless." Although Azula had suspected at the time that he was lying to her, having actual onfirmation of that fact simply infuriated her. Any inclinations she might have had for mercy where the Grand Secretary was concerned died a quick death. She made a mental note to deal with him accordingly once she had successfully dispatched the Earth King and taken the throne.

But first, she would have to push her way through the gates and that was proving to be a more formidable task than she'd first imagined. Azula was also aware of the fact that her brother and uncle were running on the loose and, it stood to reason that wherever they were, the Avatar would not be far behind. She needed to work fast and keep her focus. So, when her forces began losing their forward momentum due to the increased pressure from the newly arrived Earth Kingdom troops, Azula was both livid and undaunted.

"No retreat, you cowards!" she roared, "Press them back! Any man that fails will be cut down in his tracks!"

"Not as easy as you thought it was going to be, huh?" Aang remarked drolly.

Azula slowly pivoted to face her older brother, both amused by his audacity and incensed that he'd even dared to cross enemy lines to confront her. Yet, on the same token, she was glad. Azula didn't want Aang falling victim to some random blast of fire. She wanted to reserve that honor of killing him for herself.

"Have you come here to die, brother?" she sneered.

"Not today," Aang snorted, "And definitely not at your hand!"

"Don't be so quick to assume, Aangie," Azula laughed.

"You should take your own advice," Aang flung back.

In those breathless moments, the two were impervious to the sounds of war. The battle raged and swelled around them, but brother and sister circled one another warily. "You're a fool," Azula spit at him, "You escape from Father and you decide to come here? Don't you ever grow tired of proving yourself a traitor?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call myself a traitor," Aang remarked drolly, "It's all a matter of perspective. I'm here _for_ my people. Why are _you_ here?"

Azula gave her head a haughty toss. "Enough with the noble sentiments!" she snarled, "Let's finish this now. For good!"

Her berry-colored lips turned up in a sneer of satisfied defiance, Azula conjured up a swift, whirling vortex of blue fire and hurled the flaming cylinder at Aang. The chaotic turn of fire barreled towards Aang with stunning speed before dissipating into nothing more than a smoking hiss with a mere snap of Aang's arms. He conjured up a fireball in his palm and idly pitched it from hand to hand. "You're really going to have to do better than that," he taunted, "I saw that move coming from a mile away."

With Azula's indignant howl of rage, Aang prepared him for the moment when she would attack him. He knew she would come at him with fire blazing and anger and emotion would make her sloppy and that's when he would strike. But Azula surprised him. Rather than unleashing all she had to give, she pulled herself back at the last second. "No," she hissed in a menacing whisper, "I want to take you down with my bare hands!"

The siblings converged in a confusing blur of limbs, arms and legs locking and blocking, crossing and cracking as they parried and retreated in the ancient and primal clash of sibling rivalry. However, just as well as they knew each other's bending techniques, brother and sister were also equally matched in hand to hand combat. Each move was anticipated and countered with expert precision so that the battle between them became little more than a sparring tit for tat.

They weaved and stumbled in and out of the battle, over deformed earth and through crackling storms of fire. Men fell at their feet. Guttural grunts and the heavy sounds of bodies colliding swelled around them. Still, Aang and Azula fought on as if none of that were so.

"Give it up, Azula!" Aang gritted through clenched teeth. She swept him off his feet with a roundhouse kick. Aang sliced the back of her foot as he went down, knocking her off balance and taking her down with him. "Once the Avatar arrives, you're finished!"

"Then I guess I have to move quickly!" she retorted, gracefully twisting her body upright so that she could bring her leg down across his neck.

Aang managed to roll from underneath the killing blow only to find himself dodging another when Azula quickly regained her footing and, with fire blazing from the sole of her boot, attempted to stomp him in the face. He quickly punched out a shaft of fire only seconds before the searing flames made contact. He not only threw off Azula's balance with the blow, but knocked her back several feet as well. In the aftermath, the siblings staggered to their feet, separated by a haze of smoke and fire.

"You know what your problem is, Azula?" Aang ground out breathlessly, "You never play fair!"

"And your problem is that you always _do_!" she sneered back before throwing out a sizzling jet of lightning.

Aang easily redirected the blast, sending it off towards the heavens so that it momentarily illuminated the clouds above. He faced his sister again with a bored sigh. "You should really try to change it up a little."

She charged him again, this time an aura of enraged energy and pure power crackling around her body like an ominous, blue halo. Aang met her charge full throttle, fists blazing and lightning crackling around his forearms in winding pulses. They collided like two battering rams, bodies smacking together in an awesome convergence of pure, unbridled, and extraordinary power. The impact created a giant vacuum in the air surrounding them and for a split second there was no wind, no sound and no movement at all…and then it exploded in a mushrooming haze of fire, smoke and obliterated earth. The siblings were blown off their feet once again, but this time knocked unconscious as well.

Aang didn't know how long he lay there, falling in and out of wakefulness as he fought against the blackness seeking to claim him. He was dimly aware of the muffled sounds of battle and tried to concentrate on them, but they seemed strangely far away. He lifted his head long enough to assimilate that he was alone in the palace courtyard before he blacked out entirely. When Aang opened his eyes again, his vision was blurry and his first real awareness was that his body ached terribly. As his vision gradually cleared, however, and he adjusted to the pain, Aang then became aware of the hand being extended towards him.

At first, Aang recoiled, still a bit disoriented from the impact with Azula and sure that she had come to finish him off. But then he realized as he followed the arm connected to that hand that Zuko was the one standing above him, not Azula. Mai hovered close behind him. Aang relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief before gratefully taking hold of his friend's fingers. Zuko pulled him to his feet.

"Took you long enough," Aang grumbled good-naturedly.

"You're welcome," Zuko deadpanned.

"What's going on?" Aang wondered groggily, belatedly noting that their surroundings seemed ridiculously quiet, "Where is everyone?" He scanned for the battle and made a surprising discovery. In the time he and Azula had been fighting, Earth Kingdom forces had managed to successfully drive the Fire Nation far beyond the gates of the palace. The battle was still raging strongly, but it was also beginning to turn. "Did _you_ do that?" Aang asked Zuko.

"General How is the military tactician," Zuko replied with uncharacteristic modesty, "All we did was offer our support. He has things under control now so we decided to come and help you with Azula. You looked like you had your hands full."

"You're about ten minutes too late," Aang told him.

"Better late than never," Mai averred dryly.

"Wait!" Aang exclaimed suddenly, "You're here! Does that mean you found Appa?" Zuko nodded and then pointed skyward to where Appa circled overhead in preparation for landing. "That's great! I'm glad for you," Aang enthused, "But um…Momo didn't happen to find you, did he?"

The night of the banquet, he had decided to leave Momo behind and, since their arrest, Aang had been regretting the decision. Usually his defiant little pet would trail after him whether Aang liked it or not, but since he'd not seen any sign of Momo in the last couple of days, Aang could only assume the lemur had decided to be obedient for once. _Figures the one time I'd want him to defy me, he tries to be good_, Aang thought wryly.

"Actually, he did," Mai informed him, "Your lemur has the instincts of an eel-hound, Aang." To emphasize that, the moment Appa made touchdown, Momo darted from the bison's back and made a beeline for Aang, scurrying up onto his master's shoulder and planting himself there as if he never meant to move again. "See what I mean?"

Before Aang could chuckle with amusement, however, something else occurred to him. "Where's Azula?" he followed up in a panic.

"She's still out cold," Mai said, nodding to where Azula was, indeed, sprawled across the ground unconscious, "You really walloped her."

Aang rubbed gingerly at his still aching head. "We walloped each other."

"So what do you want to do with her?" Zuko asked.

"I guess we'll have to turn her in to the Earth Kingdom authorities," Aang sighed, saddened over the idea even when the reality was that, ten minutes earlier, his sister had been trying to kill him. "She's a war criminal. The Earth Kingdom should decide her fate."

Mai came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay with that?"

"I guess I have to be," Aang said, "She made the choice, so she has to face the consequences."

"I couldn't agree more," Sokka announced as he, Katara and Toph suddenly came running into view. They stopped short, however, when they found the palace square empty. Sokka frowned. "Where'd everybody go?"

Zuko pointed in the distance to where the battle still raged, but further away from the palace gates than before. "What took you so long?"

"The Earth King wanted all the details on the war and what we knew about Long Feng," Sokka explained, "He wouldn't let us leave before he had the information."

"Is he secure?" Zuko wondered anxiously.

"He's safe," Sokka assured him, "Now bring us up to speed with what's going on."

Before he could even begin to explain, Azula unexpectedly staggered to her feet behind them. "Well, isn't this interesting?" she spat, causing the six friends to pivot around simultaneously to face her, "Enemies and traitors all working together!"

Immediately, they surrounded her in a semi-circle, each crouched in defensive positions with their weapons at the ready. Though she was outnumbered, Azula did not immediately back down. She darted calculating glances around the loop of stoic faces, carefully weighing her options. Her army was less than two hundred feet away. If she was careful and methodical, escape was still possible.

"Give it up, Azula!" Mai said, correctly discerning Azula's plan, "You're outnumbered and outmatched. There is no way you're getting out of here."

"She's right," Aang told her. "Your army is on the brink of defeat. It's over. The only thing left to do is surrender."

"You've stolen more than enough from me, brother," Azula managed in a throbbing whisper as she began the slow, subtle movement to create lightning, "Everything that has ever meant _anything_ to me, you've taken. Father, Mother, my friends, my people and my place in my own family! Now, it's your turn to lose! Now, I'm going to take something from you!"

She directed a menacing glance towards Katara and Aang automatically stepped towards her as he realized Azula's nefarious intentions. Azula raised her arm. Momo dove for the safety of Appa's furry body. Aang threw himself in front of Katara. The friends mounted a unanimous attack towards Azula just as she shot a jagged stream of lightning…straight into _Mai_.

For a split second, everything was eerily still. At first, they were all too stunned to even breathe. The world seemed to slow to a ridiculous crawl and, in frozen frames, Zuko watched in disbelief as Mai quivered with the electrical currents coursing through her body before slumping to the ground, motionless. That was when the moment became real to Zuko. That was when he felt the pain. It took him several moments to recognize the cries of anguish that he heard as his own.

The scene erupted into panicked chaos. Zuko was the first to strike out, punching out a rapid stream of powerful fireballs that were produced on pure rage and adrenaline. Azula danced out of the line of his haphazard fire like a graceful acrobat, twisting and turning and flipping with fluid ease. Toph and Katara joined him in the attack while Aang skidded to Mai's side and gingerly pulled her limp body into his lap.

Through the web-like fire of rock, water and flame, he and Zuko made eye contact for one brief, stunning moment and whatever it was that Zuko saw reflected in Aang's eyes right then provoked a bellow of anguished fury from him. Azula shot off a few more rounds of lightning, all for the sole purpose of disorienting her enemies, before making a mad dash for safety, racing back towards the battle in hopes of gaining cover among her troops. Sokka and Toph immediately gave chase while Zuko and Katara rushed over to where Aang continued to cradle an unresponsive Mai. He sat with her head in his lap, reflexively stroking her hair. Zuko looked on with agonized fury, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

"How is she doing?" Katara demanded breathlessly, quickly readying her water pouch.

"She's not breathing," Aang mumbled, his words thick with tears, "I should have seen this coming…I should have…"

"Fix her, Katara," Zuko pressed urgently, "You have to fix her! Heal her now!"

"Let me see what I can do," Katara told him, making no promises as she gently nudged Aang aside so that she could assess the damage done to Mai's body.

The lightning appeared to have passed directly through her heart. Katara knew at first glance that there was nothing to be done, but she _hoped_ otherwise. After a few, luminous passes over Mai's wound, however, that sputtering hope died a gasping death. Katara retracted the water from around her hands.

With a great deal of reluctance, she raised her eyes and shook her head sadly. "I can't do anything for her, Zuko," she informed her friend, "She's already gone."

Zuko shook his head tersely, refusing to accept that. "Try again," he ordered spasmodically.

Katara felt helpless and inadequate and guilt-ridden because she was unable to ease the wild panic in his stare. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

"Try again!"

"Zuko, let it go!" Aang bit out sharply. "It's over. You know it's over."

Silent tears streamed from Aang's eyes as he made that grim pronouncement, but Zuko blinked back his own tears. He simply could not comprehend that the girl who had been so vibrant an hour earlier, the girl who had made _him_ smile with such minimal effort, was gone from his life before she'd ever really been a part of it. He couldn't acknowledge his grief. Instead, he found absolution in his rage. The emotion encompassed his body and mind as it had never done before. An ethereal glow began to pulse over the tattoos covering his hands, slowly creeping over his entire body. He rose to his feet on a pillar of air, his eyes vacant cavities of pure light.

"No," he said as the legion took hold, "It is enough! This ends now."

When he took off towards the battle, Katara screamed after him to wait, fearing the destruction and havoc he would wreak in his fury. The Fire Nation would suffer. Azula would suffer. But so would anyone who dared to cross Zuko's path in the process. She stared after him, filled with dread and torn between following him and staying with a grief-stricken Aang.

"Go after him," Aang urged her in a dull tone. "There's nothing you can do here."

Katara started to push to her feet in grim acceptance of that pronouncement when something suddenly occurred to her. "Wait…maybe there _is_ something I can do after all."

Azula found cover in the center of her troops, shaking Toph and Sokka in their dogged pursuit. They were scanning the crush of bodies for a glimpse of her when the first, stiff currents of wind began to blow. And then the gusts picked up speed, strong enough to knock even the burliest of soldiers off their feet. As people, weapons and tanks were whipped about in the cacophonic windstorm; Toph bent up a sturdy pillar of rock and anchored both herself and Sokka to it. A number of Earthbenders followed her lead while Fire Nation soldiers were thrown about as if they were little more than fallen leaves. But, all too soon, even those earthen barricades weren't enough to keep out the wind's punishing fervor.

Zuko slowly came into view over the horizon, clearly the source of the storm. He floated on a pillar of whipping wind, fire crackling from the deadly cloud of destruction he wielded. Some managed to escape being drawn up by the suction of the gale force winds. Others were not so fortunate. In his fury, Zuko was indiscriminate and, in his single-minded determination to destroy Firebenders, some Earthbenders lost their lives as well.

"Zuko, stop it!" Sokka yelled at him above the carnage as Toph struggled to maintain the protective wall, "You have to stop it! This isn't the way! I know you're hurting, but you know this isn't the way!"

Sokka's anguished reasoning somehow managed to penetrate Zuko's thick haze of grief and anger. Suddenly, he remembered Aang's words in the cave that morning. _I know you that if you can learn all four elements in the only a few months, you can master your temper…you just have to want it bad enough. The point isn't whether or not you can make the journey without stumbling. It's whether or not you pick yourself up and keep going when you do._ This was his test, Zuko realized. This moment was his stumbling block. Mai's death was something he had not foreseen or even imagined. Zuko was eaten up with the pain that had resulted from it, but he was also aware of the journey still ahead of him.

He couldn't allow his emotions to continue to have the mastery over him. _He_ had to be the master. He _had_ to keep going. He _had_ to remember who he was.

At last, Zuko was able to push past the hurt to anchor his emotions. The grief was still there, raw and festering, but finally controlled. The tears fell then, streaming down his cheeks unheeded as the state progressively faded from his body and he drifted back down to earth.

As the wind died down and soldiers began to regain their footing, Azula, though battered and wind-scarred herself, chose that moment to strike. The fire blast seemed to come from out of nowhere. One moment Zuko was gracefully descending from the air and the next his body was rigidly contorted with the agony of the fire blast he'd received to his chest. He plummeted back to the earth. Sokka bellowed in horror, but Toph couldn't react at all. She knew from the sound of Sokka's guttural cry that the unthinkable had happened. She hadn't needed to "see" it. Her sightless eyes filled with tears.

As Zuko crashed into the ground lifelessly, Azula yelled to what remained of her devastated battalion, "The Avatar has fallen! Storm the Palace now!"

With their grief and fear propelling them, Toph and Sokka quickly made their way over to Zuko and General How, having witnessed the entire, horrifying moment, quickly came to their aid. He helped Sokka lift a sagging Zuko into his arms. "Take the Avatar and get out of here now!" the general ordered, "It's the only way we'll have a chance!"

"What about the city?" Toph burst out.

"Let me worry about the city," How said, "You take care of the Avatar!"

The sounds of the battle loomed closer. But Katara and Aang barely took note of that new development as Katara explained to Aang how the spirit water worked. "This water has special healing properties," she said, "I was saving it for something special…" She trailed off into lingering silence, her eyes flicking to the scarred flesh covering Aang's eye before she glanced down at Mai's motionless body once again. "But I suppose this is more important…"

"Do whatever you can, Katara," Aang urged, "If this water can help her, I want to try it."

She started to uncork the bottle when she suddenly became aware of her brother screaming her name from behind. When she turned around, Katara was horrified to find Sokka rushing towards her with a limp Zuko cradled in his arms. "What happened?" she cried hysterically, surging to her feet.

"Azula took a cheap shot at him," Toph replied, "We have to get out of here! The Firebenders are pushing back hard and General How won't be able to hold them back forever!"

"Zuko…is he?" Katara mewled softly, hands trembling…wanting to touch, yet also afraid to do so. "Please tell me he's not…"

"Not yet," her brother answered, his lips set in a grim line, "But he will be if we don't get out of here!"

He and Toph began a lumbering effort to get Zuko hoisted onto Appa's back while Katara turned to face Aang. He hadn't moved an inch in the last few minutes, but kept on kneeling beside Mai as if the world was not falling down around their ears at that very moment. She stared down at him helplessly, spirit water still in hand.

"Don't worry about it, Katara," he said, not even looking at her, "Use the water for Zuko. He needs it more. The world can't lose the Avatar." He said the words with fierce conviction, yet he still made no effort to stand and his lack of action alarmed Katara.

"You heard Toph," she whispered, "We have to go now, Aang. You have to come with us."

"I'm not coming," Aang replied, finally lifting vacant eyes to meet her glistening stare as he pushed to his feet. "My uncle was wounded. I promised him I would go back for him and I'm not breaking that promise."

"You're not staying behind either," Katara refuted stubbornly.

His eyes flashed as he glared at her. "Katara, don't waste time arguing with me!"

"I left you behind once!" she cried, "I'm not doing it again! If you stay behind then we stay together!"

"_Nobody_ is staying!" came Suki's unexpected and vehement protest from behind them.

Katara and Aang glanced as she raced towards him. Aang immediately scowled with worry upon seeing her. As he scooted out carefully from beneath Mai's body, he couldn't help but wonder that, if Suki was there with them, then where was his uncle.

Atop Appa, Sokka sputtered his shock over seeing the Kyoshi Warrior again, but for the moment Suki ignored him to relay the message for Aang that General Iroh had given her. "What are you doing here?" he cried sharply as she approached him.

"Your uncle asked me to come. He knows what happened to the Avatar and that you don't have much time," she told Aang anxiously, "He says Ba Sing Se is going to fall and you need to get out of the city right now!"

"What? No!" Aang protested, "He's hurt! Where is he? I need to help him, Suki!"

She stubbornly blocked Aang's efforts to push past her to rush off in search of Iroh himself. "Listen to me," she urged, holding him by the shoulders, "Your uncle wanted you to know that he loves you very much!" Aang's features contorted with grief at the fervent words. He knew that if Iroh had sent Suki to relay such a message it was because he was anticipating never seeing Aang again. The thought alone was almost too agonizing to bear. Losing Mai had been an awful blow, almost beyond withstanding, but losing his uncle was simply unfathomable.

At that point, Aang stopped struggling and Suki recited the remainder of her message without holding him back. "He told me to tell you that you're strong and you're wise and that he knows you can stand on your own without him because you've proven it to him."

"No…no, I can't…" Aang whimpered in protest, "I need him."

"He said that you've become a man now, Aang," Suki pressed on thickly, "And that you've made him very proud and happy…as any son would have. He said that, as far as he's concerned, you _are_ his son." Aang turned away to scrub at the tears streaking his face, wanting to drown out Suki's words just as desperately as he wanted to hear them. "He wants you to survive this, Aang!" she continued fiercely, "He wants this war to be over and that's never going to happen without the Avatar! We have to do what's best for Zuko now or everything will _really_ be lost."

"Please listen to her, Aang," Katara murmured, stepping forward to place a comforting hand against his heaving back, "I know what you're feeling right now and I know it's hard, but your uncle says this is the right thing to do and he's the wisest man you've ever known. There's no other choice. We _have_ to keep going."

_The point isn't whether or not you can make the journey without stumbling. It's whether or not you pick yourself up and keep going when you do._

Aang closed his eyes as his own words rang in his ears. He wanted to let himself drown in grief. He wanted not to care at all, but he couldn't quite ignore his own advice…valuable things his beloved uncle had taught. He didn't want those lessons to become valueless, especially after so much had been lost.

Swallowing past the lump of sorrow in his throat, Aang looked over at Katara and finally jerked his head in a terse nod of agreement.

"Okay," he whispered gruffly, "We'll keep going."


	44. Chapter Forty Three

**Chapter Forty-Three **

They rendezvoused with Sokka and Katara's father at Chameleon Bay.

While in the secret tunnels with the Earth King, Sokka, Katara and Toph had learned from General How that Long Feng had been intercepting their mail during their brief stay in the city. A message had arrived from their father Hakoda informing them of his current coordinates, and that he would be lingering there for the next few months if they had an opportunity to visit. Though the Water Tribe siblings had managed to keep in limited contact with him during their travels, they hadn't yet been afforded with an opportunity to see their father in person. With morale so low, Zuko still gravely injured and General Iroh unavailable and possibly dead, no one had known where to turn at all.

Aang was too grief-stricken to contribute anything. Katara was too worried about both him and Zuko to brainstorm what the next move should be. And Suki and Toph were simply at a loss, both girls helpless and uncomfortable in the recent turn of events. Getting the group through the latest rough patch then had fallen squarely on Sokka's shoulders. Consequently, he had steered them towards Chameleon Bay without a backwards glance.

Once there, Aang had quietly separated himself from the group to build Mai's funeral pyre and cremate her body in the traditional Fire Nation way. Though they had all offered to join him, hoping to buoy him in his time of mourning, Aang had insisted on being alone. He closed himself off from the group completely, essentially shutting down his emotions so that he operated on an almost mechanical level. Unable to help him, Katara had decided to focus her undivided attention on Zuko. She kept vigil over the unconscious Avatar, ministering to him and cleaning his wound while Sokka, Toph and Suki preoccupied themselves with making preparations for the eclipse attack with Hakoda.

Presently, they were doing just that. While Katara tended to Zuko and Aang sat off alone, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Hakoda and Hakoda's best friend and second-in-command, Bato sat huddled around the campfire, picking at the remnants of their half eaten dinners and solidifying their plans for the Day of Black Sun. "I think we can mount a successful strike," Hakoda told his son, "You won't believe the support we've managed to raise for an army, not just among the Water Tribes, but within the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation as well."

"Firebenders want to fight with us?" Sokka snorted in surprise.

"You should know better than anyone that not everyone in the Fire Nation approves of Firelord Ozai's leadership or the part he's played in this ongoing war," Hakoda explained, "We have allies in places you've never imagined."

"But can we really trust Firebenders to help us?" Toph considered cautiously. "With so much riding on this final battle, maybe we shouldn't take the chance."

"I don't see why we can't trust them," Bato considered wryly, "They came highly recommended from General Iroh himself."

Sokka swiveled a surprised look around at his father. "You've spoken with General Iroh before? When?"

"Well, you said in your letters that you trusted the man, didn't you?" Hakoda replied meaningfully.

"Yeah…yeah, I do," Sokka sputtered, "I mean I did…I mean… Why would you contact him at all? Didn't you trust my judgment?"

"Of course, I trust your judgment, son," Hakoda reassured him. "That's exactly why I contacted him. I wanted to know how a former Fire Nation general could inspire such unwavering allegiance in my son. Suffice it to say, I was amazed by the man. It turns out that your loyalty for General Iroh was completely warranted. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to meet him in person."

"Yeah, me too," Sokka murmured in agreement, "General Iroh was a good man."

"That's the impression we had of him as well," Bato said. He glanced over to where Aang sat bundled alone on the outskirts of their encampment, moodily swelling and retracting the flames of his own campfire with subtle flicks of his fingers. "No wonder your friend is taking his passing so hard," he remarked softly.

Sokka followed Bato's line of sight briefly before turning back to regard both him and Hakoda. "Aang and General Iroh were pretty close," he murmured in explanation, "More like father and son than uncle and nephew. Not to mention that the dead girl we brought with us…apparently, they were close too. He'd known her since they were little kids. It's a lot for him to deal with all at once."

"I can't imagine how awful he must be feeling," Suki whispered sympathetically.

"He'll come around," Sokka assured her, "Aang knows what we have ahead of us. He knows he's going to have to keep it together if he plans to train Zuko in preparation for the eclipse."

"Son, I'm all for optimism," Hakoda began carefully, "but, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? I don't disagree that we should attack the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse just as we planned, but there's no guarantee the Avatar will be with us when we do. He's in a really bad way, Sokka. I think you kids should prepare yourself for the possibility that he might not pull through."

"He'll pull through," Toph declared with implacable fierceness. There wasn't even a tremor of doubt in her tone.

"How can you be so sure?" Suki wondered, unsuccessful in suppressing her worried shudder. "You've haven't seen how pale and still he is. He barely even moved the entire way here."

"Trust me, he'll pull through it," Toph insisted, "You have to know what kind of person he is and how strong his spirit is. There's no one like him. Zuko _never_ quits. He won't this time either."

Mollified and relieved by the force of her fierce conviction on the matter, Hakoda moved on to the next order of business. "Have you heard anymore from that weapons specialist you told me about?" he asked his son.

"You mean the Mechanist?" Sokka asked. "Yeah, he's onboard with helping us mount the attack. He's even got a few ideas for some machinery. We're going to need something that can stand up to the Fire Nation tanks."

"The Mechanist?" Toph and Suki echoed simultaneously, "Who's that?"

"Oh, he's just this guy we found out was making secret weapons for the Fire Nation and whose home we blew up," Sokka recounted dismissively, "Nothing too complicated."

"Yeah, there's nothing complicated about that at all," Suki drawled sarcastically.

"So this guy was working with the Fire Nation, you blew up his home and he still wants to help us?" Toph balked in an incredulous tone, "Um…what?"

"We can trust him," Sokka reassured his apprehensive friend, "It turns out that blowing up his home was probably the best thing that ever happened to him."

"And while you try to explain the logic in that declaration to your friends, I'm going to bed," Hakoda announced with a broad yawn. Bato stood with him, seconding that motion.

"Wait!" Sokka protested, his brows furrowed with disappointment. It felt like he'd only spent a few minutes in his father's presence rather than a few days and Sokka was reluctant to be parted from him, even if only to sleep. "You're going to bed already? It's still early."

"Maybe for you," his father laughed, "but I'm an old man and I need my rest." He reached down to ruffle his son's hair affectionately. "Don't stay up too late," he admonished, "And be sure to check on your sister. I know she's worried about the Avatar, but she'll make herself sick if she doesn't get some rest."

"I will," Sokka promised with a nod.

Toph waited until Bato and Hakoda were out of earshot to round on Sokka. "Okay, now that they're gone, why don't you tell us how you really feel?"

"I don't know what you mean," Sokka brazened.

"You think this plan to invade the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse is going to fail, don't you?" Toph charged softly, "Be honest."

"I honestly think we can do it," Sokka insisted, "_if_ Zuko recovers in time and _if_ Aang pulls himself together and _if_ we can manage to coordinate this entire attack without General Iroh's help."

"That's a lot of 'ifs,'" Suki mumbled sullenly. "You're saying it's not looking too good for us, huh?"

"Right now? Not really," Sokka sighed. "Honestly, I'd probably feel more optimistic about this whole thing if Aang acted like he cared either way. But once _he_ starts to lose hope, you know it's _really_ bad."

"I'll go talk to him," Toph volunteered.

"He's not going to talk to you, Toph," Sokka argued, "Don't you think I've tried? Don't you think Katara has tried?"

Despite his grumbling determent, however, Toph rose to her feet with a shrug. "Well, it's not like we have anything to lose."

After a long pause of silence, Sokka finally nodded his consent to her plan. Though he was neither thrilled nor optimistic about the prospect, Sokka was also a little too desperate to refuse her altogether. "Hey, Toph?" he called to her back as she started to leave, "Walking over to him and saying 'strap on a pair, Lotus Blossom' might not be the most sensitive approach, so you should probably go with something a little different."

"Sure," she replied with what could only be described as impudent nonchalance, "I'll keep it in mind, Sokka."

"That's not going to work out so well, is it?" Suki surmised as she and Sokka watched Toph make her approach towards Aang. "Toph doesn't strike me as the nurturing type."

"She's not," Sokka agreed, "But maybe she'll make Aang so mad he'll forget he's depressed. Then again," he amended with groaning sigh, "maybe she'll make things even worse. It's a 50/50 chance, I guess." Suki emitted a soft laugh at the comedic misery in Sokka's tone and reached out to give his shoulder a commiserative pat. The moment she touched him, however, the mood between them shifted from light-hearted banter to grim solemnity. "So um…" Sokka hedged uncomfortably, "I guess you'll be leaving to rejoin the Kyoshi Warriors soon, huh?"

"Well…" Suki began in a hedging manner, "I was thinking I might stick around here with you guys for a while."

"You are?" Sokka chirped excitedly, only to cringe inwardly a moment later when the boyish enthusiasm in his tone reached his own ears. He silently prayed that he hadn't sounded as childish to Suki as he had to himself. "W-What I meant was," he amended in a significantly calmer tone, "why would you want to do that? Aren't you needed back on Kyoshi? I don't want to keep you from something more important."

His magnanimous understanding left Suki frowning. "What? Do you not want me to stay or something?"

"I didn't say that," he denied quickly.

"Well, that's how it sounded! If that's how you feel, just spit it out, Sokka!" Suki challenged stiffly, her mind already veering to all the possible reasons for why he wouldn't want her to stay.

She couldn't shake the suspicion that his lack of enthusiasm concerning her plans was directly tied to his reluctance to be more than friends. Maybe he was trying to avoid an awkward situation. Maybe he was afraid she'd get the impression that he'd changed his mind about that and that she would push for something more. To Suki's humiliated chagrin, she recognized that part of her was hoping he _would_ change his mind. The realization brought with it a wave of frustration and hurt, which was manifested in Suki's next words to him.

"If you want me to go then be a man and say so!" she fired.

Sokka drew himself up straight and tall. "Now don't you go bringing my manhood into this, woman!" he admonished, "You're blowing this whole thing out of proportion."

"_I'm_ blowing this whole thing out of proportion?" Suki screeched indignantly, "What about you? I'd thought you'd be happy to know I was sticking around! Silly me, I figured you could use an extra hand, all things considered! I guess I was wrong!"

"Is that why you want to stay?" Sokka balked in disappointment, "Because you think I need your help?"

"Oh, I completely forgot," Suki snorted, mimicking a machismo strut as she ranted, "You're Sokka the Manly Warrior of the Southern Water Tribe! You _never_ need anyone!"

"Why are you so angry with me?" Sokka wondered, squinting at her in complete bewilderment.

"I'm not angry!" Suki denied heatedly.

"Then why are you _yelling_?" Sokka emphasized.

It was then that Suki became aware that she'd captured the attention of almost the entire camp. Practically everyone visible was staring at them with unconcealed stares of concerned curiosity. Suki groaned inwardly, feeling her cheeks flame beneath her heavy pancake makeup. She didn't need for Sokka to point out that she was overreacting. Suki was already well aware of that fact herself. When she spoke to Sokka again, her words were even and quiet and tempered with careful control.

"Listen, I know you're probably apprehensive about me staying on given our last conversation," she acknowledged stiffly, "but I thought we agreed that we'd still be friends, Sokka. I told you that I respected your feelings. Didn't you believe me? I mean…if you had a problem with me staying here, why didn't you just tell me?"

"I don't have a problem with it."

"You have a funny way of showing it," she accused him, "I tell you I want to stay and you practically pack my bags for Kyoshi!"

"Maybe it just seems that way because you're jumping to all these wild conclusions and you're not letting me get a word in edgewise!" His sharp rebuke penetrated deep. For a second time, Suki had to make a conscious effort to bite back an obstinate retort and compose herself. Fuming, she crossed her arms and obligingly snapped her mouth shut, compressing her lips in thin line as she waited for him to speak. "Now then," Sokka resumed once he had gained her irate silence, "I'm not upset that you're staying on with us. In fact, I'm relieved and happy. I've been dreading the day you would leave this entire time."

The pinched anger in Suki's features gradually softened to hopeful wariness. "You have?"

"I know our last conversation didn't go so well," Sokka sighed, "I was in a bad place then. Appa had been stolen from us and I was still struggling with what happened to Yue at the North Pole."

"That was her name?" Suki choked out meekly, trying not to dwell how absolutely pretty it sounded, especially in comparison with Suki, "Yue?"

"Yeah," Sokka confirmed softly, "She died in my arms and that's something I haven't gotten over, Suki. I probably never will get over it. But, the point is, even with all that happened to me in the North Pole, I couldn't seem to shake the feelings I had for you…the feelings I _still_ have for you," he tacked on meaningfully.

Suki was almost afraid to look at him after that declaration, but she couldn't keep herself from whispering hoarsely, "But you said it wasn't a good time."

"And it's still not," Sokka replied in a wry tone, "My life couldn't possibly be messier than it is right now. Nothing is certain. My friends are hurting. My sister is hurting and we just lost a huge battle. But…if what happened in Ba Sing Se taught me anything, it's how fast life can change. If you don't seize the opportunities presented to you, sometimes you might miss out on them altogether. I don't want to miss out on you, Suki. I don't want to miss out on what we could be together."

"What are you saying to me, Sokka?"

"I'm saying…" He rose to his feet and framed her face with his hands, fusing his lips to hers in a sudden and breathless kiss. Suki initially stiffened against him in reflexive surprise before she relaxing in gradual stages. Her eyes sank closed and she leaned into him. She slipped her arms around his neck, softening beneath his kiss and returning it completely. When they finally parted a few moments later, they were both blushing and biting back shy smiles. Sokka reached up to brush his knuckles gently over the ridge of her cheek. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you now?" he whispered.

Suki answered with a happy nod. "You're saying…" she said in a thickened tone, "…you want me to stay."

"So I heard you had a heart to heart with Toph."

Aang turned his forlorn stare from the moonlit waves washing up onto the beach to Katara's concerned features. She didn't wait for his invitation to sit, but merely folded down beside him. He accepted her presence with a billowing sigh. "It wasn't like that," Aang reassured her, "We didn't talk very much at all. We just kicked around some rocks on the beach and sort of hung out. It wasn't an outpouring of feeling or anything."

"Oh," Katara breathed softly, "Is…is that what you need, Aang?"

"What? To walk on the beach and kick around rocks?"

"No. To not talk," Katara clarified meekly.

Aang sighed again. "There's nothing to talk about."

"You're hurting," Katara pointed out gently, "That's something."

"And I'll keep on hurting whether I talk about it or not," Aang concluded in a despondent mutter. His answer, while not sharp, caused tears of helplessness to flood Katara's eyes. Though she made a furtive effort to blink them back, Aang could see clearly that she was on the verge of crying. "Katara, please don't take it that way," he pleaded softly, "It's nothing against you. It's _me_. It's all me."

"But maybe it is me," Katara sniffled, "Maybe you blame me…even if you don't realize that you do."

"Blame you for what?"

"Because of the spirit water," she clarified in a suffocated tone, "Because I saved Zuko instead of saving Mai. Maybe a part of you thinks it's my fault. Maybe that's why you're not talking to me."

"No," he refuted, his reply gruff with regret and sorrow, "You made the only choice you could have. I don't blame you. I could never…"

Rather than reassuring her, the words provoked more tears. "Do you think Zuko will blame me?" she choked emotionally, "I…I think he might have liked her. It wasn't anything he said, but… How am I supposed to tell him when he wakes up…_if_ he wakes up?"

"He did like her," Aang confirmed, "But, I seriously doubt he'll blame you. More than likely, he'll blame himself." _Just like I blame myself_, he added silently. Not wanting to dwell on those oppressive feelings of guilt and remorse, however, Aang decided to change the subject. "How is he doing, by the way?" he asked, "Has there been any improvement to his condition?"

Katara whisked away the remnants of her fallen tears and straightened her back. "He's still unconscious," she revealed sadly, "He has a fever. I've been really worried about infection. The only time he responds to anything is when I clean his wound." She flinched when she thought of the daily routine that included, not only replacing Zuko's bandages with clean, new ones, but also scraping away the necrotic flesh that had formed around his injury. His mewls of pain would continue to reverberate in her ears even long after he had calmed down and fallen back into stillness. She hated those times.

Easily reading her thoughts in her expression, Aang gave her shoulder a sympathetic nudge. "I remember those days too," he mumbled, absently fingering the scarred flesh surrounding his eye, "I always dreaded have my dressing changed. It was the worst. Uncle used to make a special salve for me. It helped to lessen the pain. I can give you the recipe if you want."

"Yes, I'd like that," Katara murmured.

Awkward silence swelled between them afterwards. Aang, once again, turned his face towards the water, seeming to dismiss her presence altogether. Katara supposed that was her subtle cue to leave, but she found herself unable to move. Instead, she stared at the unmarred side of his profile, desperately trying to discern the thoughts going on behind his inscrutable expression rather than granting him the solitude he wanted. Katara couldn't help but ache for him. Even when she knew he probably resented her continued lingering, she could not walk away…not when she knew he was hurting so much.

"I was saving it for you," she blurted suddenly.

Aang swiveled a sharp glance back to her face. "What?"

"The water from the North Pole," she clarified softly, "I was saving it for you." With trembling fingers she traced the edge of his puckered scar. "I wanted to heal this."

He blinked back the stinging tears the admission evoked and gently, but firmly pulled her hand from his face before turning away from her altogether. "I'm glad it didn't work out that way," he told her, "I don't deserve it."

Katara blinked at him in shock. "Why would you think that?"

"Because it's my fault that Mai is dead," he sobbed, "I…I romanticized running away from home. I never told her about the people who spit on us or the towns that turned us away or the time I got so sick and no one would sell Uncle any medicine because we were Fire Nation. I made it sound like I was living some fun adventure when the truth was that it was dangerous and hard and I felt alone and scared most of the time. I was the one who asked her to come with me. I put the idea in her head and now…" He swallowed down the anguished whimper that rose in his throat. "She's gone…they're both gone and it's because of me."

Katara placed her hand against the small of his back and climbed onto her knees so that she could rest her chin on his shoulder. "Your uncle knew the chance he was taking when he left the Fire Nation with you," she reminded him, "and it was worth it to him. Mai knew the consequences when she decided to defy Azula and it was worth it to her. Their deaths weren't senseless, Aang. They died for what they believed in, for something bigger than themselves. That's…that's the greatest kind of honor."

He shrugged her off, flicking Katara with a dark, resentful glare. "That's easy for you to say!" he retorted, "You don't have their blood on your hands!"

"No," Katara flashed back, "I have my mother's!" Aang flinched at the angry response, shamed by her anguished vehemence. "I told you that my mother had been killed by the Fire Nation, but I never told you why," she went on softly, "It was a raid and they'd come to look for the last Southern Waterbender. _I_ was the last. It wasn't very hard to figure out the reason why my mother died. She was protecting me. And so yes, Aang, I _do_ know what's it's like to have someone's blood on your hands."

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

She was already taking him into her arms before he could breakdown completely so that when the first violent sobs began to rip from his chest he was cradled in her embrace. Despite the comfort she provided, however, Katara felt ineffectual and helpless. She felt like she had failed him, that she had failed him and Zuko both. In her mind, it had always been her duty to protect them. No one had asked her to do it, but Katara had gladly taken on the responsibility. Now they both had been devastated, physically and emotionally and, even with all her healing capabilities, there was nothing she could do to alleviate the pain for either of them.

It was a long time before he stopped crying and lifted his eyes to hers again. They were wide and wet and full of unconscious need. His entire heart was in his eyes when he looked at her and suddenly, Katara felt compelled to make her heart just as plainly visible to him. She realized then that there _was_ something she could give to him, even if it was only peace of mind. He was in her arms, vulnerable and emotionally naked. He had unburdened his deepest feelings and somehow…it just felt right to give the same to him in return.

"I love you, Aang."

The admission was unplanned, the words whispered. Soft. Almost inaudible, yet Aang reacted as if she had screamed them directly into his face. He reared back from her, scrambling upright with an almost panicked expression. "What?"

His eyes darted over her features in such a penetrating manner that Katara couldn't help but feel self-conscious and unsure. Far from the peaceful respite she'd anticipated, Aang appeared more anxious than ever. She wondered if she had made a mistake. But, even with the uncertainty gnawing at her, Katara could not take back the words. She didn't want to. They were out there and now there was no other choice but to deal with them.

Fidgeting nervously, Katara somehow managed to meet Aang's gaze squarely when she said, "I know you're probably surprised, but…I think this is something I've known for a while now, only I was too afraid to say anything." She dropped her eyes then, suddenly absorbed with her twisting fingers as she continued her confession. "I couldn't control what I felt for you and that overwhelmed me a little, so I decided not to deal with it. I thought I would take my time to figure it all out. But then Ba Sing Se fell and I began to worry that maybe time would run out. Maybe something would happen and I'd never have the chance to tell you."

She bit her lip, realizing that now that she'd said the words out loud, she couldn't stop saying them. "I love you." Katara held her breath, unconsciously awaiting his reciprocal response following her heartfelt rhapsodizing, but she only received persisting silence instead. She glanced at him then and that's when she realized he wasn't looking at her with rapturous emotion, but something more akin to anger.

Confused, she prodded a little timidly, "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

"I don't want your pity, Katara," he replied as he rolled stiffly to his feet.

Katara gaped at him. "What?" She scrambled after him, catching hold of his forearm when he would have walked away. He jerked from her in a single motion. Katara recoiled from his narrowed glare, stunned and confused. "You think this is about pity?"

"Yeah, it's about pity!" he spat, "What happened to being 'confused' and wanting to wait? Your timing is a little too convenient, don't you think?"

"Do you honestly think I would tell you I loved you if you didn't mean it?" she cried.

"I know you love me, Katara," Aang flashed back, "As your friend, as a brother, but definitely not the way I need you to!" He bit back his growl of frustration, fearful he would say something in his anger that he'd be unable to take back later. Only when he felt sufficiently composed, did he speak again. "I know your heart is in the right place, but what you're doing isn't fair to me!"

"You're wrong! How can you not believe me?"

"Don't try to make me the bad guy in all this!"

"I'm not doing that! I'm trying to be honest!"

Aang raked her with a seething once-over, angry with her for persisting and angry with himself for wanting it to be true. "Whatever," he grated shortly, "Just leave me alone, Katara! I can't handle this right now!"

She watched him stomp off towards the campsite, kicking up shafts of sand along the way. Numb, she stood there wondering how three simple words could make everything worse instead of better. Overwhelmed with a fresh onslaught of tears, she flopped down onto the beach once more and drew her knees into her chest to weep bitterly. A few seconds later, she became aware of a gentle hand stroking down the length of her back. When she looked up, her father was there. Without a word, Katara pitched herself into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder, crying and crying as Hakoda cradled her tenderly.

Once her sobs had finally died down to hiccups, Hakoda went about the paternal business of drying her tears. "Feel better?" he asked when he was done.

"Not really," she mumbled, "It's been an emotional few days. I guess it all finally hit me at once."

"Is that all it was?" Hakoda wondered softly.

"What else could it be?" Katara brazened. Horrified that he might have heard the conversation between her and Aang, she said in an almost accusing tone, "Sokka said you had gone to bed. What are you doing on the beach?"

"I _had_ gone to bed," he admitted, "But then one of my men came in to tell me that Sokka and his _girlfriend_, which I didn't know he had, were having a fight in the middle of the camp. I got up to see what the commotion was about, but by that time it seemed like they'd made up. After that, I couldn't go back to sleep." He regarded her with a nostalgic look that clearly asked, "How did you kids grow up so fast?"

"If you want to know what's going on between Sokka and Suki, you're going to have to ask him," Katara told her father, determined not to be used as a go between.

"Oh, I intend to," Hakoda assured her, "But right now, I'm more interested in what's going on between you and the Fire Nation prince."

"Nothing," Katara lied rather badly, "We're just friends."

"That's not what it sounded like to me."

"You were _spying_ on me?" Katara balked, "How could you do that, Dad?"

"Actually, I was walking along the beach and I happened to see the two of you together and I was _concerned_," Hakoda emphasized, "I can be concerned about you, Katara. I'm still your father." Katara responded to that with tight-lipped silence, arms folded defiantly. "Sweetheart, you are fourteen years old," her father reasoned softly, "Do you really think you're in love?"

"I know I am," Katara flashed back obstinately, "Don't act like I'm too young to feel what I feel! If I'm old enough to fight a war, then I'm old enough to fall in love!"

"Maybe old enough to fall in love," Hakoda acknowledged, "but not old enough to handle the responsibility that comes with it. What I just saw a few minutes ago proved that."

"Aang didn't mean what he said," Katara muttered defensively, "He's hurting. That's all."

"I'm not talking about Aang," Hakoda clarified, "I'm talking about you. Both of you are going through a great deal of emotional stress right now. It wasn't wise for you to add to that."

"Since when is loving someone an 'emotional stress?'" Katara cried in frustration, "I thought it would make him feel better to know!"

"Is that why you told him?" Hakoda charged, "To make him feel better?"

"No. I told him because I meant it and I needed him to know how I felt about him, especially after what happened to Mai and General Iroh and Zuko. I _needed_ him to know, Dad."

"But if you hadn't made those feelings clear to him before now, surely you can understand why he would see it as pity, can't you, Katara?"

She turned aside from his reasoning, reluctant to acknowledge the logical truth in his question. "I guess…"

"He's not going to make it easy for you," her father warned, "You should prepare yourself."

"He's not?" she queried despondently.

"Sometimes boys can be a stubborn lot," Hakoda said.

"Great…" Katara drawled, unenthused.

"Part of me wants to tell you to forget about him," Hakoda confessed, "You're my little girl and I don't want to see you get your heart broken. But I can see that you're not going to forget about him. I can tell just by looking at you how much he means to you. You're like your mother. When you love, you love with everything you have."

"I've never felt this way about anyone, Dad," she whispered, "What do I do?"

"Take your time," her father advised softly, "and give him some space. If he feels about you the way you feel about him, then he'll come around."

"You really think so?"

"I'm sure of it."

She flung herself back into his arms then, hugging him hard. "Thank you, Dad. I'm so glad we're together again."

"Me too. And don't thank me," her father whispered, "Just promise me one thing."

Katara smiled into his shoulder. "Name it."

"That when Aang does come around and you two work things out, take it slowly," Hakoda emphasized, rearing back to look her in the eye as he continued, "I know you kids like to think of yourselves as world-weary adults, but you're not there quite yet. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up when you don't have to, okay?"

"I hear you."

"And another thing…"

"What?" Katara groaned laughingly.

"When this war is over, I want you to bring him back home with you," Hakoda ordered, "If you're really serious about this boy, then I want to know everything there is to know about him."

Katara nibbled her lip in consideration of those terms before asking in an almost challenging tone, "Are you going to tell Sokka the same thing when you speak to him?"

"Pretty much."

"Then yeah," Katara said with a wide smile, "It's a deal."

Three hours later, the camp was completely silent. Katara crept from Zuko's nursing tent, disheartened by the lack of change in his condition. She probably would have continued watching him through the night if Sokka and Suki hadn't popped in and insisted she go to bed. However, despite the late hour, Katara found herself incredibly restless. She didn't want to return to her tent because she knew if she did, she'd just lie awake obsessing about things she couldn't change.

Inevitably then, rather than heading off in that direction, she found herself walking towards Aang's tent instead. She couldn't quite suppress her shiver of nervous apprehension when she discovered that the interior of the tan canvas was illuminated with candlelight. There was a part of her that was glad he was awake, but there was also a part of her that dreaded the reception she would receive. Then again, if he was still awake, maybe he was wrestling with their earlier conversation just as she was. Encouraged by the possibility, Katara ducked inside. Yet, upon entering with a whispered request to talk, Katara was disappointed to discover that Aang wasn't awake after all. Momo perked up at her entrance, but Aang continued to sleep soundly.

He was turned onto his side, his features relaxed, his unscarred eye ringed with dark smudges of fatigue. Much as she knew they needed to talk, Katara was reluctant to wake him. Deciding that their conversation could wait until the morning then, Katara started to lean down to blow out the candle, but, at the last second, she changed her mind. Something compelled her to stay. Instead, she found herself crawling forward to brush away the shaggy locks that fell across his forehead and eyes. She lightly sifted her fingers through the rumpled strands of his hair, suddenly overwhelmed with the inexplicable need to touch him.

"You know you were right about what you said earlier," she whispered gruffly, "I _do_ love you as a friend. I _do_ love you as a brother, but I also love you as something more than that. I love you in countless ways, Aang, and for countless reasons, but I don't pity you."

Satisfied with having said her piece, even if he hadn't been awake to hear her, Katara sighed with a mixture of bittersweet remorse and determination. She turned around to blow out the candle and then left his tent as quietly as she'd arrived. Only when he was sure he was alone again did Aang drop his sleeping pretense and open his eyes.

Shaking in the aftermath of her whispered confession, Aang shifted onto his back with a heavy sigh to contemplate the lonely gloom she'd left behind.


	45. Chapter Forty Four

**Chapter Forty-Four**

Azula returned to the Fire Nation as a conquering hero.

She stepped out onto the grand balcony of the Fire Nation royal palace to be greeted with deafening cheers and shouts of adulation. At last, their nation had achieved complete world dominance. At last, the Avatar would no longer prove a threat to their thriving empire. Azula, fourteen year old Princess of the Fire Nation, had changed her nation's history forever. Her memory and triumphs would be celebrated for generations to come. She was venerated on a scale usually exclusive to the Firelord alone. And yet, even at the height of such unimaginable success, Azula was not satisfied. Not even close.

There was still work to be done.

The meeting with her father still loomed. While she was not surprised to find him conspicuously absent from her victory celebration, there was still a part of Azula that was irritated by his refusal to come _to her_ for once. Even after all she had accomplished, and _without_ his assistance, he still refused to humble himself and offer her due respect. Once again, she was expected to prostrate herself before him and give _him_ honor. She would do it too…but it would be for the last time, Azula decided with steely determination. After this day, she would bow down to no one ever again. Instead, people would bow down to her. She alone would receive the credit for her accomplishments.

With that unwavering conviction sizzling in her heart, Azula finally went to stand before her father. She bowed in front of his throne like an obedient servant, grateful for once that her face was low to the ground because then he could not glimpse her grimace of disgust for him. Upon her entrance, the Firelord rose and stepped through the leaping curtain of flames before his throne to greet his daughter, bidding her to rise before him.

"Welcome back, my child," he said almost fondly, "You have accomplished what no one else before you could…something not even your great grandfather Sozin could manage. You have conquered the world and, most importantly, you have slain the Avatar. Because of you, the sovereign rulership of the Firelord will never be questioned again. You should be proud of yourself."

Azula accepted the commendation with a nod, thinking that would be the extent of it. But then the Firelord did something unprecedented, something Azula could not remember him doing _ever_. He embraced her. She stiffened immediately, her first instinct to forgo her meticulous planning and kill him on the spot.

At one time in her life, she would have welcomed such a display of affection. Those days when she had done practically everything except stand on her head to gain his attention, those days when her entire world would have turned just for his smile of approval… But all his praise and admiration had been reserved for Aang, while she had received an absent pat on the head and a murmured, "good girl Azula" as if she were nothing more than a fawning pet. Bitterness bubbled in her belly like corrosive acid.

_Now_ he could see her. _Now_ she was a prize in his eyes. After so many years of faithful service and loyalty, now he recognized her because he had no choice. There was no one else. Aang had been disinherited and disgraced and his brother was dead. As usual, she received the leftovers. Somehow though, in spite of the seething fury that realization caused, Azula managed to return his awkward show of affection. She managed to wait.

"Thank you, Father," she said when they parted. "How can I be of any further service to you?"

"You have done well, Azula," he commended, "You deserve a rest." However, as she turned to exit he added, "I would have you dine with me this evening, daughter. There is important business we must discuss."

"As you wish," came her dutiful reply.

An hour later, Azula joined her father in the formal dining room. Dinner had yet to be served. Her father sat in his usual spot at the head of the polished, rectangular shaped table. Upon her entrance, he immediately waved away the servants so that they could dine in private. Azula bestowed him with a reverent bow before rising to present him with a crystal decanter of rice wine.

"What is this?" he asked, plucking the bottle from her fingers.

"It is from the Earth King's most private collection. The spoils of war." The corners of her lips turned in a secret smile. "I thought you might enjoy it."

"Yes, I believe I shall. We will enjoy it after dinner, but for now I have some news." He gestured to the empty pillow adjacent to him. "Sit." Once she had done as he'd commanded, Firelord Ozai cut to the chase. "As you're well aware, the entire world now falls under Fire Nation dominion. It will be impossible for me to personally oversee all of our nation's affairs worldwide. I will need someone I trust to attend to matters outside of the Fire Nation. That person is you, Azula."

"It would be an honor, Father."

"You're also likely aware that your brother has escaped from prison," Ozai went on, "I have disowned him and he is a wanted criminal now. As a result, you are now the legal and rightful heir to my throne. Upon my death, you will become Firelord. You have proven yourself deserving. You have already brought our nation great glory. I know more good is to come."

"That is high praise coming from you, my lord."

"I should have recognized your potential sooner." It was the closest he would ever come to an apology or admitting a lapse in judgment and Azula knew it. "No matter," he announced suddenly, dismissing the subject altogether, "the past is the past. Let us celebrate your homecoming! Open the Earth King's wine. We'll enjoy it now." Azula dutifully filled goblets for both herself and her father. "To the Fire Nation," Ozai toasted, raising his cup.

"To the Fire Nation." Azula lifted her goblet to her lips, but she didn't drink. Rather, she watched as her father did, taking immense satisfaction when he finished every solitary drop. "Did you enjoy it?" she asked him pleasantly, setting aside her cup.

The Firelord inclined his head in an approving nod, but before he could request a refill, his vision doubled inexplicably and he was overcome with the sudden urge to vomit. The room began to tilt and spin around him. Grimacing, he blinked hard, but the efforts he made to clear his vision only seemed to worsen it, which in turn, worsened his nausea. He clasped the edges of the table in a white-knuckled grip.

"Father, are you unwell?"

Azula's question seemed to come at him from a distance. Her words echoed strangely in his ears. He made a woozy attempt to grab for her fingers, but panicked as he recognized he'd lost control of his extremities. The loss of sensation and coordination began with a curious sort of tingling that gradually culminated in complete numbness. Seconds later, he slumped to the floor with a muted thud. He didn't even feel the impact he made against the unyielding, gleaming surface.

His body felt sluggish. His breathing became labored and unsteady. Even his heart seemed to beat at a decelerated rate. He somehow managed to focus on Azula, who sat regarding him with an odd sort of calm.

"Wine…the wine…" he rasped.

Azula moved to lean over him. "Would you care for more?" she asked, deliberately misunderstanding him.

Ozai shook his head wildly, which only served to increase his nauseated dizziness. "Something…wrong…"

She smiled at him malevolently. "Are you wondering, perhaps, if the wine was poisoned?" she queried almost cheerfully. "Don't wonder, Father. It was. Turns out all those long, droning anecdotes Uncle used to give us about recognizing tea leaves weren't all so useless. I learned quite a bit about poison that way."

His eyes flared wide with understanding seconds before he made an uncoordinated attempt to grasp hold of her throat. Azula danced out of his reach with a merry laugh. "Did you really think a hug and some pathetic praise were going to make me forget all the years you ignored me?" she spat bitterly. She raked him with a scornful glance. "You're a fool and you're weak! You always were!"

"Why…why…" he gasped.

"Why?" she trilled, "You have the audacity to ask me _why_? Because you never could appreciate what was right in front of you!" She crouched down beside him once more, taking supreme satisfaction in watching him twitch as he struggled for his last gasps of precious air. "I know what you did," she muttered in a trembling whisper, "I know how you and Mother conspired to kill Grandfather that night. I heard it all…just like I know what really happened to Mother. You may have fooled Aang, but you _never_ fooled me." For the briefest of seconds, Ozai was able to focus completely following that statement. "It's rather ironic, don't you think?" Azula drawled almost thoughtfully, "Your father died at your hands and now…_you will die at mine_."

It was with that ominous proclamation crashing in his ears that Firelord Ozai fell into a full bodied seizure. Azula watched with detached eyes as he convulsed again and again, his eyes lolling backwards before he fell completely still. When he stopped moving, Azula nudged him lightly with the toe of her boot, listening intently to his quick, shallows breaths. Only when he took his last one, an odd, wheezing death rattle, did Azula realize she had been holding her own.

Afterwards, she calmly stepped over his body and threw the remains of the rice wine into the fireplace on the far side of the room. The fire flared violently, popping and hissing as it consumed both the alcohol and evidence of Azula's monstrous act. She then quickly wiped away all traces of her deed and staged the scene so that it appeared that her father had suddenly collapsed.

Only then did Azula adopt a façade of grief-stricken horror and finally call for help.

The water was cool and clear and calm.

It sluiced over Zuko's body in rejuvenating rivulets as he swam towards the shore in long, languid strokes. Mai watched him from the bank with an admiring smile, her legs tucked neatly beneath luminous white robes, her dark hair unbound and spilling over her shoulders and back like fine, shimmering silk. She looked more than a little different from the last time he'd seen her, almost markedly so. In fact, it was as if Zuko were beholding an entirely different Mai altogether. Yet, she wasn't a stranger to him. When he emerged from the water and made his way over to her, she was already turning her face up for his kiss, eager and expectant.

"You look so different," he whispered when they parted. In breathless wonder, he fingered her cheeks and eyes and nose. As he skimmed feathered caresses over her smooth skin, Zuko felt as if he were touching her for the first time, even as he felt also that he had done so a million times before. He scanned her face greedily, taking note of how the delicate bones that shaped her features seemed more refined somehow…older…more beautiful. "Something's changed about you…"

Mai laughed and swept her tapered fingers over his clean shaven skull in a light caress. "Something's changed about you too," she pointed out wryly, "No more hair." She traced a spot in the center of his forehead, a small frown creasing her forehead as she did. "And this is definitely new."

"What's new?" he laughed, half curious, half distracted by her touch.

She nodded wordlessly towards the water, inviting him to take a look for himself. His brow cocked in mild interest, Zuko slowly swiveled around to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the placid surface of the water. He was greeted by a stranger.

The face of a man stared back at him, familiar and recognizable, but definitely not the face he remembered. Gone was the rounded youthfulness in his features. In disbelief, Zuko ran trembling fingers over the new angles and planes of his face, both amazed and horrified by the changes.

Yet, the change that most held his rapt fascination was the pale, blue arrow in the center of his forehead. He traced the tattoo with a shaking hand, his breath catching in a painful wheeze. A quick glance down at his bare arms and legs confirmed that the design did indeed span the entire length of his body, marking him definitively as an Airbending master. A rite of passage…and he remembered none of it.

"What does it mean, Zuko?" Mai asked.

"This can't be happening," he muttered to himself over and over. "Am I dreaming?"

"Do you want to be?"

He scrambled back over to her side, overcome with the inexplicable need to be near to her. "I don't know what's happening, Mai…" he breathed, "I don't know why we're here."

He glanced about at their forested surroundings for the first time, a lush paradise with fields made crimson with blooming fire lilies and dotted with moss covered trees. Beyond their copse of greenery sprawled a rugged swathe of tundra leading off into a mountainous region of snow capped peaks. The place was a beguiling union of the terrain and scenery found in the four nations. Zuko had never been anywhere like it before. "I don't even know where _here_ is," he mumbled to himself. He looked over at Mai. "I don't even know why _you're_ here."

"Because you want me to be," she answered simply.

"Something isn't right," Zuko insisted with a shake of his head. "The last thing I remember clearly is being in Ba Sing Se…" He turned his befuddled gaze towards Mai. "You and I were together, but we were younger than we are now," he recounted foggily, "You were hurt…" In his mind's eye, Zuko could suddenly see the flash of lightning and Mai falling. He could hear the bouncing echo of anguished screams sounding in his ears and Zuko realized with dawning horror that they were his own. "No…no…" he amended breathlessly.

"What is it, Zuko?"

"You were dead," he wheezed, "I saw you die."

Mai cupped his cheek, her hand warm and soft against his skin. "I'm not dead, Zuko," she denied with a soft, dubious snort, "Do I feel dead to you? I'm here with you."

He allowed himself to be lulled by the reassurance. Maybe it wasn't a dream, after all. Maybe the memory of what happened in Ba Sing Se was the dream. Maybe the terrifying memories trapped in his head weren't memories at all.

Zuko turned his face into her palm, inhaling deeply her sweet, clean scent. "Yes, you're here…" He closed his eyes, readily embracing the beautiful lie. "I don't want you to go," he whispered, "I don't want this to be a dream."

"I'm here," she said again, "I'll always be with you."

He readily accepted her kiss, needing her words of reassurance to be true just as much as he needed air. He craved their veracity because in his happy delusion there was no pain. There was no loss. Zuko hadn't felt such an unspoiled joy since the days when Gyatso had been alive. He yearned to stay exactly where he was even as there was a part of him that knew it was all a lie…a part of him that knew Mai's promises to stay with him were empty. For the moment, the world was as he wanted it and Zuko refused to question it. He would _not_ question it. He _deserved_ to be happy.

"Don't do this, Zuko."

He reared back at the abrupt intrusion of Katara's voice, his eyes flaring wide. His surprise quickly gave way to shock, however, as he discovered Katara's face filling his line of sight rather than Mai's. Zuko lurched back with a stunned gasp.

"The world won't survive without you," Katara said.

Zuko swiped a shaking hand across his mouth. It was only then that he recognized that his Airbender tattoos had disappeared just as mysteriously as they had appeared. "What's going on?" he asked Katara, "Why are you here? What happened to Mai?"

Katara began to cry. "I'm sorry, Zuko," she wept brokenly, "I'm so, so sorry. Please, forgive me…"

His heart contracted painfully at the sight of her tears. "There's nothing to forgive, Katara," he reassured her softly.

"We need you, Zuko. Come back. Come back to us…"

"Katara, I'm right here." He reached out to grab hold of her hand to affirm that statement, but the moment he touched her, she suddenly dissipated into a streaming burst of water. Repulsed and frightened, Zuko stared down at his hands, watching in disbelief as the water that had once been Katara spilled freely through his fingers. His breath soughed in and out of his lungs in harsh pants.

"I don't understand," he whispered in mounting panic, "What's happening to me? Either I'm dead or I'm going crazy!"

"You're neither."

Zuko spun around sharply, only to recoil a second later when he spied the apparition floating out in the center of the water. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Avatar Yangchen?"

Suddenly, she was directly before him and favoring him with a fond smile. "It's been too long, young Airbender."

"Where am I?" Zuko asked anxiously, "What's happening? Am I in the spirit world?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Zuko squinted at her. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you have quite a journey ahead of you and a very important choice to make."

"I don't understand. What journey? What choice?" Zuko cried, "What am I doing here? What happened to me?"

"It is your destiny to become, not only a fully realized Avatar, but a capable guardian and protector of the world," Yangchen told him, "In order to fulfill that role, you must acquire more than power. You must attain discipline, wisdom and compassion. You cannot allow yourself to be governed by internal conflict or personal hurt, young one. It is paramount that your judgment be unbiased, strong and fair. Only _you_ can make the world whole again. Only _you_ can restore what has been lost. You can never know your true potential until you are able to rise above your own pain and do what is best for the world."

"But I already know this!" Zuko maintained, "That's exactly what I'm _trying_ to do!"

"Being the Avatar does not only involve mastering the elements," she continued as a sudden wind began to pick up around them, mixed with stinging droplets of rain, "You've only completed part of the task. There is still more for you to learn. But most importantly, you must master yourself as well."

"You're not telling me anything I haven't heard a hundred times before," Zuko mumbled, "I already know all this."

As suddenly as the wind and rain had begun, it stopped. "That remains to be seen."

With that whispered challenge, the forested setting around him began to fall away from around him, retreating and withering until nothing was left except a barren wasteland of red clay. Set before him, to his left and to his right were two distinctive paths. Zuko surveyed each with a confused scowl before tipping back a questioning look at Yangchen who was floating above him.

"What does this mean?" he asked her.

"You must choose."

"Choose what?"

She made a gesture to his left and Zuko glanced over to find that the path had now been replaced by Mai. She appeared as he had seen her that final day in Ba Sing Se before morphing, before his eyes, into the vision he'd encountered beside the lake earlier. Zuko started to go to her, when the sudden call of his name halted him mid-step. He glanced then to his right and found Sokka, Katara, Aang and Toph waiting for him. They held their hands out towards him, silently beckoning him forward.

Zuko bounced an indecisive glance between his friends and Mai, understanding then what choice needed to be made and feeling torn. "Do what you know is right, Zuko," Aang told him.

He threw a reflexive glance towards his friend, prepared to snap Aang's head off for pressuring him, but the words lodged in Zuko's throat. He was momentarily stunned into silence because the Aang who had spoken to him did not resemble the Firebender that he knew. The Fire Nation prince stood before him, not clad in the elegant garb of a Fire Nation royal, but in the simple robes of an Air Nomad monk. He was older, his features smooth and unscarred by the fire blast he'd received from his father. Zuko's eyes darted all over him. He struggled to absorb Aang's strange appearance even while something about it was inexplicably familiar to him.

Confused by the contradiction, Zuko scrutinized the shaven, tattooed crown of his friend's head, as well as the long, dark beard he sported that was traditional for the temple monks and the precise cut of the carved necklace hanging around his throat. With his expression gentle and humble, Aang reminded Zuko vaguely of Gyatso and, for a moment, it felt as if his old mentor was standing right there with him.

"Tell me why this is happening!" Zuko demanded of Yangchen, "Why does Aang look like that? What do all these visions mean?"

"There are but two paths," she said, "One of selfless duty and one of selfish pursuit. You must decide which you will follow."

"Why is it selfish to want to her to be alive?" Zuko cried, pointing towards Mai, "Why is it wrong for me to be happy?"

"Sometimes the thing left behind is the very thing gained," she whispered wisely, "And the thing we cling to is the thing we lose."

"Will you stop talking to me in riddles?" Zuko huffed in frustration.

"You already know the answers to your questions," Avatar Yangchen informed him quietly.

Zuko heaved a painful sigh, unable to refute the truth in her words. The choice was his. He could stay there and enmesh himself in this fantasy world where his environment was one of his own making, but at what price? So often in the past he had plowed past the wisdom of others to execute his own will. The results had often times been disastrous. This time, though, Zuko decided to put his own will aside.

Saddened by the decision ahead of him, but no less determined, Zuko turned one last, longing gaze towards Mai, swallowing spasmodically as he recognized the decision he would have to make. "I don't know what we could have been," he whispered, "but I wanted to know. I imagined something amazing for us and, if I stay here…wherever here is…I can have that. I can make the future whatever I want and I won't ever have to know loss again."

He closed his eyes briefly, unable to hold her silent stare as he continued. "But if I stay, the world won't survive and I will have failed in my responsibilities. I can't let that happen. I know you are gone. And I can stay here and pretend, but it won't change the truth. I can't run away. I won't." Following that last whispered declaration, Zuko opened his eyes once more, hardly surprised to find that his friends, Gyatso-Aang and Mai had all vanished. Bravely blinking back the tears of bittersweet resolution gathering in his eyes, Zuko turned towards Yangchen and leveled her with a determined stare. "I'm ready."

She gestured to the path at his right. "Follow the road until you reach the end of it…until you reach Koh's lair."

"Who is Koh?"

"The face stealer," she clarified ominously, "When you go before him, you must not show any emotion or any fear at all or he will steal your face."

Zuko's reaction to that was less than thrilled. "Why must I go to him then? I'm trying to get out of this place, not lose my face!"

"You must pass through Koh's lair to return to the physical world," Yangchen said, "But, be wary of him. He will try to trick you. It is your final test, young Avatar. Do not fail."

"What do you mean this is my 'final test?'" Zuko huffed in frustration, "What does this Koh—," He never finished the angry tirade because when he whipped around to confront Yangchen, she had already disappeared. Zuko expelled an aggravated grunt. "That's just great," he muttered, "Thanks for all the help there, Yangchen."

Left with little choice in the matter, Zuko started cautiously down the path. He made a conscious effort to suppress his fear as the world around him began to darken and swirl with an otherworldly mist. Out from the murky depths, strange sounds leapt out at him, echoing through the empty space ahead. As he traveled further, shapes became discernable: gnarled trees with phantom animals swinging from their branches, the quiet lapping of water against the edge of the pathway…and the gaping mouth of the large cave directly ahead of him.

As he approached the yawning entrance, several faceless creatures scampered across his path. After swallowing down his reflexive yelp, the young Avatar stamped down the understandable impulse to turn on his heel and go back the way he'd come. The reality was that he didn't have an abundance of choices set before him. If Koh's lair was his only way back to the physical world, then the choice had already been made. He would do whatever he had to.

So with a deep breath and squared shoulders, Zuko walked into the mouth of the cave. He prepared himself to be greeted by a horrifying figure, but instead, was only met with shadows. "Hello?" Zuko called out cautiously, "Is anyone here? I'm looking for a spirit called Koh."

A sinuous figure began slowly uncurled from the darkness with a low, rumbling laugh. "Well, well, well…" the voice whispered, "If it isn't my old friend the Avatar."

Though he wanted to squint for a clearer look, Zuko kept his features rigidly blank. "Do I know you?" he asked neutrally.

"We knew each other once," the voice said, "In another life."

"Will you show yourself?" Zuko requested calmly.

"Gladly," the voice answered.

Without warning, Koh's face materialized through the darkness, followed by his centipede like body. His thrust his face within inches of Zuko's, awaiting his horrified reaction. But while Zuko's heart was literally strumming with fear in his chest at the sight of the red-lipped, clown-faced spirit, he managed to keep his face inscrutable. "I'm told I must pass through your den in order to return home," Zuko declared, "Will you allow me to do that?"

"So focused on your goal, young one," Koh tsked in amusement, "Haven't you even stopped to wonder at all why you're here?"

Zuko didn't so much as twitch an eyelid. "I wish to leave."

"I can tell you," Koh cajoled, winding his arthropod form around Zuko. He pressed his lips closely to the boy's ear. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"No," Zuko answered, "If you could tell me the way, please."

"You are _dying_," Koh announced with a measure of satisfaction.

That time, Zuko was unable to suppress his sharp intake of breath, but by the time Koh whipped back around to catch the show of emotion and, therefore, steal his face, Zuko had already composed himself. Frustrated, Koh perched back on his legs to regard Zuko with a wanton stare. "It's been quite some time since I've added a child's face to my collection." Zuko watched with internal horror as Koh's face began to morph into a dozen others, one after the other, all children. Some, Zuko realized with growing apprehension, he actually recognized.

"Do you know any of them?" Koh queried smoothly.

"No," Zuko lied.

Koh released a satisfied sigh. "Children make desperate decisions when they are cornered," he remarked, "So many little Airbender children… You are the last, are you not?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zuko demanded evenly, "What do you want from me?"

The spirit circled him in a predatory way, the scaly shell of his insect-like body grazing the loose material of Zuko's tunic. By sheer force of will, Zuko managed to suppress his shudder of revulsion. Seeming to sense his struggle, Koh smiled in satisfaction. "What do _you_ want, Avatar?"

"I want peace," Zuko said.

"You have a peculiar way of showing it," Koh whispered. A sudden flashing of images lit up the interior of the den, a tumbling highlight of all Zuko's greatest follies from the carnage he'd wrought under General Fong's tutelage to the coldblooded killing of Gashuin in the desert. Zuko swallowed hard, clamping down on the desire to weep out his remorse. "Go on," Koh coaxed almost seductively, "You know you want to. Lose your temper, Avatar. Lose control."

"No. I want peace," Zuko reiterated again, features stoic even while his eyes glistened, "I want to go home."

"Do you think you deserve to go home?" Koh demanded harshly. He thrust his face closely to Zuko's once more, hoping to frighten a reaction from him, but receiving little more than Zuko's rough swallow. "You have failed over and over!" the spirit said, "You will fail again."

"No. I won't fail," Zuko denied.

"You are a child," Koh scoffed, "A short-sighted _little_ boy ruled by his emotions."

The spirit knew just the right insults to use in order to incur Zuko's temper. Rage boiled inside him, but, while his breathing became harsh and rapid, he did not betray any of his emotion. "I am the Avatar," he refuted firmly, "guardian of the world."

"You say you're a guardian. You say you want peace and yet you are here with me," Koh observed.

"I have no control over that."

"I think you do. You want the girl," Koh concluded knowingly, "That is the true reason you linger here." Mai's image wavered before Zuko and it was an epic, internal struggle to stamp down his reaction. But the effort was taxing. Zuko did not know if he could withstand much more. "You forget that I know you…the oldest incarnations of you. In another life, you came to me for the love of a woman," Koh said, "What will you do now, Avatar? Will you sacrifice the world to maintain your fantasy or will you fulfill your destiny?"

"What do you want me to say? I'm here, aren't I?"

"Are you ready?" Koh's features morphed again, flashing through a plethora of faces with an almost dizzying effect. "Are you worthy?"

Somehow, Zuko didn't need to ask what he meant. "No, I am not worthy," he replied quietly, "Being the Avatar is both an incredible honor and an incredible burden. Nothing in my life has been the same since I learned who I was. I'm not sure if I'm ready or even if I can be the Avatar the world needs me to be, but I want to try. I don't want to plunge the world into more violence and destruction. I want to restore peace and I can't do that if I'm here. Please, let me go home."

"Spoken like a true Air Nomad," Koh remarked in a tone that was both derisive and impressed, "I almost believe it matters to you."

"It _does_ matter to me. I am an Air Nomad, not just by birth, but also in my heart," Zuko replied, only realizing, in that moment, how incredibly true the declaration was. He had only forgotten for a little while.

With that response, Koh retreated again, his face reverting back to that of the benign clown. He grunted noncommittally. "Perhaps you've learned something over the course of your past lives after all," the spirit said, skittering aside to allow Zuko to pass.

Zuko was so relieved he almost forgot to school his features. "Thank you," he replied, inclining his head in a cordial nod of gratitude.

"Remember the lesson in control you have learned here today, young Airbender," the spirit said to his back. Zuko paused and held his breath, but did not turn back to face him. "It will serve you well." Zuko nodded again, but as he started to continue on through the narrow corridor beyond Koh's lair, the spirit added almost wryly, "And Avatar?"

"What is it?"

"We'll meet again sometime."

Zuko barely had time to respond to that before he was slammed by a sudden wall of water that hit him with such force he was left gasping for breath.

"We need to decide what we're going to do," Sokka announced when Suki, Toph and Aang had finally gathered for the meeting he'd called to order.

"Shouldn't we wait for Katara?" Aang wondered anxiously when he didn't catch sight of the Waterbender.

"There was no way I was going to get her to leave Zuko unattended, so I already brought her up to speed," Sokka replied, "Her main priority is finding some place safe for Zuko where he can recover and hopefully heal. Tomorrow morning, my dad and his men will be leaving here to rendezvous with the other rebels. For the next few months until the eclipse happens, they're going to be constantly on the move. I don't know if Zuko will be able to endure that kind of stress."

"Why don't we just stay here then?" Suki suggested.

"It's too open," Sokka considered. "We need to be somewhere quiet and secluded, that way Zuko can have some privacy once he recovers and resumes his training. We have to remember that the Fire Nation thinks he's dead. We want to make sure they keep on believing that."

"But where can we go?" Toph wondered, "I mean, aside from hiding in caves, which does not appeal to me by the way, what options do we have?"

"I know a place we can go," Aang interjected softly, effectively commanding their attention with that single declaration. "It's quiet. It's remote and no one will think to look for us there."

"Where is it?" Toph demanded impatiently.

"My family's beach house on Ember Island," Aang revealed.

"What?" Sokka, Suki and Toph balked simultaneously.

"Trust me, it's a good idea," Aang insisted, "We haven't gone there for years. I wouldn't be surprised if the Firelord has forgotten it exists at all. There are plenty of rooms and lots of privacy. Zuko will have a safe place to train when he's ready."

Sokka stroked his chin in consideration. "Well…" he drawled, "the idea of having my own room does sound tempting…"

"Forget the room," Toph said, "I'll be happy just sleeping in a bed again."

"Suki, what do you think?" Sokka asked, turning to his girlfriend.

"If Aang says we'll be safe, then I trust him," she replied.

"Good, then it's settled," Sokka decided, "First thing tomorrow, we'll saddle up Appa and head for Ember Island."


	46. Chapter Forty Five

**Chapter Forty-Five**

Katara started to tenderly sponge the dots of perspiration from Zuko's forehead, only to drop the cloth and stifle a startled scream when she noticed his eyes were wide open. Heart thundering, Katara leaned in closer and expelled his name in a timid breath. He groaned in response and blinked his eyes. Katara released a tiny squeak of profound relief.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him gently.

Zuko grimaced with pain. "Like Toph hit me with a rock," he answered weakly, "My chest feels like it's on fire."

"That's because your wound is still raw and inflamed," Katara explained. "You've still got a long way to go before it heals completely. I can apply a special salve to help with the pain."

"Please…"

As she smeared the thick, aromatic mixture across the puckered flesh of his burn and the ache eased from his body, Zuko waged a valiant battle to stay awake. Although he had not done anything more than open his eyes and speak a few words, Zuko felt taxed to the edge of his strength and endurance. Despite his best efforts, his eyelids drooped again and again.

Katara chuckled at his efforts. "You should go to sleep if you're tired," she advised him softly, "You're probably exhausted after everything you've been through." He didn't immediately question her on what exactly he'd "been through," but instead continued to regard her through drowsy eyes. "Are you thirsty?" she asked, "Would you like some water?"

Zuko shuddered at the offer. "No thanks. I've had plenty."

Frowning over his strange response and assuming he was still disoriented from his recent fever, Katara ladled out a spoonful of clean water for him from a nearby bucket despite his refusal. She pressed the wooden spoon to his lips. "Drink, Zuko," she coaxed when he made a weak attempt to push her hand away. "You need water," she insisted.

When she was satisfied that he'd been sufficiently hydrated, Katara then turned her attention towards tucking him securely beneath the blankets to ensure he stayed warm. While she busied herself with that task, Zuko gradually became aware of his unfamiliar surroundings as the haze from his long bout with oblivion began to clear. He was in a bed and not stretched out on his usual pallet of earth. And not just any bed either. A bed adorned in scarlet silk sheets and embroidered quilts. The room in which the bed was situated was equally impressive, decorated in somber tones of brown and mahogany with most of the furniture was draped in scarlet colored sheets.

"What is this place?" he asked Katara in a befuddled whisper.

"We're on Ember Island," she explained, "We're staying at Aang's abandoned family beach house." Zuko's forehead creased in a deep frown. He definitely didn't recall that particular development at all. Though he had rolled in and out of consciousness since they had made the move from Chameleon Bay to Ember Island, it was quite obvious he hadn't taken in very much during his more lucid moments.

"You don't remember much that has happened over the last week, do you?" Katara queried just to be sure.

"Bits and pieces," he confessed, "I remember you. Sometimes you were crying. I know you talked to me. I can remember hearing voices, mostly yours and Aang's."

"Aang?" she echoed in surprise, "You remember him being here with you?" Zuko confirmed with a sleepy nod. Katara was a bit stunned by the revelation because, as far as she knew, Aang hadn't visited with Zuko very much at all. The fact that he _had_ visited and had failed to mention it bothered Katara deeply. Then again, it was probably silly for her to be perturbed at all considering the fact Aang was speaking to her very little these days anyway. With that miserable reminder, Katara shook off all lingering thoughts of Aang and concentrated on filling in the blanks for Zuko.

"I've sat with you a lot over the last ten days," she told him. "You've gone in and out of consciousness most of the time. You've been really sick, Zuko."

There was a tense stretch of silence between them before Zuko asked almost reluctantly, "I guess that means that Ba Sing Se fell, huh?" The words were more a statement than a question. Katara suspected he already knew the answer and, therefore, didn't see the point of lying to him or dodging his question. Instead, she confirmed his suspicions with a tentative nod. Zuko groaned. "All those defenseless people…"

"They're going to be okay," Katara reassured him, "We're going to fix things."

"And the Earth King? What about him?" Zuko swallowed roughly, beating back the waves and waves of self-deprecation that threatened to engulf him. "If he's fallen into the Fire Nation's hands—,"

"He's safe as well," Katara interrupted before he could go on a tirade, "Before the city fell completely, he was smuggled out to a secret location. He and his generals are even planning a coup to retake the city during the eclipse."

Zuko closed his eyes briefly, soaking all of that in before asking, "So, what happened? How did I get hurt exactly?"

His query sent Katara into instant fidgeting. She staunchly avoided eye contact with him, a fact that did not escape Zuko's attention. "Maybe you shouldn't try to take so much in at one time," she hedged. "Why don't I go get the others?" she suggested in an abrupt change of subject. "They'll want to know you're awake now."

He reached out to catch hold of her wrist when she would have scurried away. "Katara, tell me."

She sighed, her hesitancy so glaringly visible that Zuko was uncertain she would answer him at all…but she did. "You…you went after Azula," she revealed hoarsely, "…after Mai was hurt."

"You mean after she was _killed_," Zuko corrected in a thickened tone.

Katara glanced at him sharply. "You mean you remember that?" she realized in dread-filled despair.

"I'll never forget it," he whispered, grimacing with pain that was both physical and emotional. "I don't remember going after Azula though."

"That's because you were in the Avatar State."

Zuko cringed over the revelation. "Did I do a lot of damage? Did I hurt people?"

"Sokka was able to calm you down before you could," Katara told him, "That's when Azula took a shot at you. We had to get you out of there fast because when the Fire Nation saw that you had fallen, the battle started to turn."

"So, it's my fault Ba Sing Se fell?" Zuko concluded thickly.

"No…no…" Katara protested, but she could already tell from his expression that nothing she said was going to alleviate the guilt he felt. She watched with a contracting heart as he accepted the account with a wordless nod and then turned his face aside so that she couldn't see the tears he shed. Tears welled up in her eyes as well. "I'm so sorry, Zuko," she choked brokenly, "I wish I could have done more."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Katara."

"I…I tried to help her," she stammered, "I wanted to…"

"I know," Zuko acknowledged quietly, "I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

"Would you rather be alone?" she asked meekly, already turning aside to gather her belongings together.

"No, don't leave," Zuko burst out sharply, surprising both her and himself, "I want you to stay. And call the others too. I want to see them."

A few minutes later his friends filed into the bedroom, their expressions ranging from overwhelming relief to guilty shame. As they approached his bedside, they were careful and quiet in his presence, as if they believed even speaking too loudly would shatter him. Only Toph refused to treat him with kid gloves and Zuko was grateful that she didn't. She stated with her usual brusque wit, "Now that you're awake, you can get up off your lazy butt and do some serious training."

Her spunky greeting served to dispel the tension filling the room and even provoked a few smiles, most surprisingly from Zuko. "Let's see if you still feel that way when I'm on my feet again," he challenged, "I'm going to run you ragged."

"I believe it," Toph snorted, remembering very well how focused Zuko could be when it came to his training.

"There'll be plenty of time for training once you're better," Katara cautioned him. "You're still healing, Zuko. You don't want to have a setback by doing too much, too soon."

"I know. I know," Zuko replied with a resigned sigh. Hoping to distract himself from his frustration over that, he turned a curious look over towards Suki, really assimilating her presence there for the first time. "I don't know why you're here," he told her, "or even when you arrived, but it's good to see you again, Suki."

She smiled at him. "It's good to see you too, Zuko."

"Will you be staying with us for a while?" he asked.

Suki directed a blushing smile towards Sokka, one that the Water Tribe warrior shyly returned. "That's the plan."

"I'm glad to hear it," Zuko said, happy for his friend and yet envious all at the same time. He readily displayed the former and took extreme care to conceal the latter. "Welcome to Team Avatar," he told her, "We're glad to…" Whatever he meant to say suddenly became garbled in a broad yawn. Zuko regarded his friends with a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, guys. I don't know where that came from."

"Exhaustion," Sokka laughed, "You need to sleep, buddy."

"But that's all I've been doing," Zuko complained.

"You obviously need it," Katara scolded him. "Now stop arguing." She began herding their friends from the room despite his protests. "You're going to sleep and that's that," she decided.

Zuko defiantly called out for Aang to stay behind before he could be pushed out with the others. Out of everyone, he had remained strangely quiet and that was unlike Aang. The change aroused both Zuko's curiosity and concern.

The Firebender bounced a cautious look between Zuko and Katara, clearly uncomfortable being put in the middle of their silent tug of wills. "Are you sure you want me too?" he asked Zuko carefully, "I get the impression Katara might skin me alive if I don't get out of here, not to mention throttle you for being so stubborn."

"Katara's okay with you staying," Zuko declared firmly with a meaningful look over in the Waterbender's direction, "Aren't you, Katara?"

"Zuko, you should sleep," she pressed him.

"I'm not a baby," he told her, "I know what I can handle and what I can't."

"I'm trying to look out for you."

"And I know that," Zuko acknowledged, "I appreciate that you're worried about me, but I know what I'm doing. I _need_ to talk to Aang. It's important."

"Fine," Katara huffed in a relenting grumble, "You're going to do what you want no matter what I say anyway." She fixed Aang with a warning glare. "Don't stay too long. I'm not going to argue with him because he's in no shape to deal with it. You're another matter. If he has a setback, I'm coming after you."

After she was gone, Aang turned back to regard Zuko with an exaggerated shudder. "You know she meant that, right? I hope you have a very good reason for setting her after me."

"You know she's not going to hurt you," Zuko snorted, "Everybody knows you're her favorite. I saw you guys in Ba Sing Se, remember?"

"Ba Sing Se was a long time ago, Zuko," Aang mumbled vaguely. Before Zuko could question him about what he meant, Aang moved to take the empty seat at his bedside. "So what's up with you?" he asked, "Why'd you want me to stay behind?"

"I wanted to know how you were feeling," Zuko said.

At first, Aang was shocked speechless because Zuko had even asked the question at all and then, once he'd recovered from the shock, he emitted a humorless laugh. "Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that question? You're the one who almost died."

"She…Mai, I mean…she told me that you guys had been engaged once or something," Zuko revealed gruffly, "I don't know…I…I just figured you'd be taking it hard."

Aang's expression became shuttered. "It was an arranged marriage," he clarified, "and it was kind of forgotten about after my mom left. So, technically, it was never really dissolved, not that Mai and I had paid it too much attention."

"So…uh…that means I kind of made out with your future wife, huh?"

"Technically, yeah."

"Oh," Zuko grunted in chagrin, "Well now I feel weird."

"There's no need to feel weird," Aang reassured him, "We didn't have that kind of relationship even if, at one time, I wanted us too. Mai always thought of me as a brother."

Zuko nodded in understanding before asking again, "So, are you okay?"

"Are you?" Aang countered pointedly.

"You knew her longer and you were closer to her," Zuko argued, "It seems ridiculous to say I know how you're feeling right now when I barely knew her at all."

Aang surveyed him with a mournful stare. "But you do know how I feel, don't you?" he whispered. The two young men shared a wordless exchange of mutual understanding and grief. "Don't worry about me. I'm coping with everything," Aang assured him in a hoarse whisper, "Losing Mai was hard, but losing Uncle on top of that is the really difficult part. I had to leave him behind in Ba Sing Se. At least I was able to give Mai a proper funeral."

"You mean you've buried her already?" Zuko asked, feeling both disappointed and guilty at the revelation.

"I cremated her," Aang clarified, "It's the Fire Nation way. I kept her ashes though, if that means anything."

Zuko swallowed down the acrid lump of anguish that formed in his throat. He started to ask Aang where he was keeping her, when the impact of what Aang had said regarding his Uncle Iroh finally hit him. "Wait. General Iroh is gone?" he whispered in disbelief, "I didn't know, Aang."

"How could you know?" Aang replied mildly, "You've been delirious with fever this whole time. I doubt those were Katara's first words to you when you woke up either. Besides, it didn't just happen. It's been more than a week now and some days are harder than others. Today is a hard day."

"So, this is probably a really bad time to ask you a favor, huh?" Zuko considered.

"Actually, it's the perfect time," Aang refuted, "It'll give me something to think about besides myself. What do you need?"

"Well…when I was out, I had this really bizarre dream," Zuko confided, "It was so weird and confusing that I kind of want to chalk it up to delirium, but it feels like more than that. I feel like that vision or…or journey…whatever it was, I feel like it was supposed to teach me something."

"Teach you what?"

"Teach me about myself. Remind me of who I am," Zuko said.

"And who's that?"

"I'm the Avatar, of course," Zuko replied, "But, I'm also an Air Nomad. That's a part of who I am and I've been denying that for a long time now because I didn't think it was possible to reconcile being an Air Nomad with being the Avatar. Then you add in the fact that I was still trying to figure out who I was aside from all that and well…"

"…you get a whole lot of confusion," Aang finished knowingly.

"Exactly," Zuko said. "I used to think that I couldn't be myself and the Avatar and an Air Nomad all at the same time because it seemed that one cancelled out the other. I always had to deny some part of myself and so I never felt complete. But I realize now that denying myself _was_ the problem. I was keeping those things separate when I should have been trying to make them whole…make _me_ whole."

"That sounds like one incredible journey you took, Zuko," Aang remarked in amazement, "Where do I fit into all this?"

"There's a certain rite of passage among my people," Zuko explained. "When an Airbender becomes a master, he receives a full body arrow tattoo that follows the chi pattern. It was done to honor the sky bison, because it was from them that we learned airbending."

"Oh, I didn't know that…" Aang said, still unsure of where he fit. Zuko was only too happy to clarify for him.

"I want you to give me my Airbender tattoos, Aang."

Aang's automatic response was to snort a laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm absolutely serious," Zuko countered. "This is a way for me to reconnect with my people. I know who I am and I know what I must do. I want to fulfill this tradition and I can't do it alone."

"But I'm not qualified, Zuko," Aang argued, "You're talking about a sacred thing here and you once told me that a Firebender had no business involving himself in the sacred things of an Air Nomad!"

"I was wrong," Zuko replied simply.

"You were right," Aang countered, "My people destroyed your people. I know that has nothing to do with what's between you and me, but this is a huge thing you're asking. I…I don't feel worthy to do it."

"You are worthy."

Aang shook his head to refute that. "Maybe we can find you someone who specializes in this stuff and—,"

"I trust you," Zuko interrupted, "I want you to do it. Besides, didn't you tell us once that you had learned the art of tattooing from a reformed convict that your uncle took in?" he reminded Aang.

"I didn't think you listened to my stories."

"I listened to _all_ of them. You said that man taught you everything he knew. You told us you even got in some practice on one of your crewmen."

"Only because he was too intoxicated to tell me 'no' like a normal person!" Aang cried in exasperation. "I've never done anything on the scale you're expecting!"

"What you don't know, I'll teach you," Zuko offered gamely.

"You're out of your mind. Or else you're still delirious with fever! I'm not going to do it!"

"I can understand if you need a few days to get mentally prepared. It can be an arduous undertaking that involves deep meditation and fasting."

"Did you not hear me? I told you I'm not going to do it," Aang reiterated obstinately.

Zuko closed his eyes, finally giving into his exhaustion and essentially dismissing Aang's protests when he did. "We'll wait a few days and do it when I'm stronger," he decided with a lethargic sigh, "I'll let you explain it to Katara. She'll take it better coming from you."

Firelord Ozai was laid to rest in the opulent tradition of his forefathers, draped in elegant white and royal crimson.

Princess Azula was very careful to bite back her satisfied smirk as she stepped forward to place a single lotus blossom beneath her deceased father's folded hands. She had played the part of the grieving daughter well. To her nation, she presented the picture of a stoically brave young princess in the throes of grief. The reality was, however, that Azula had been meticulously planning her father's death since before her thirteenth birthday.

After she had finished with the formalities of saying her goodbyes, Azula took a step back and gave the signal for the funeral pyre to be set alight. A moment of reverential silence was observed by all present as the body of the former Firelord was consumed. Then, at the Fire Sages' request, Azula turned to present herself to the crowd and knelt before the sages. She bent forward and held her breath as the royal artifact that would signal her as the sovereign ruler of the Fire Nation was placed upon her head. Afterwards, Azula rose to her feet and the Fire Sages, as well as the throng of people gathered there in the palace courtyard, fell to their knees.

"All hail Firelord Azula!" they chanted. Moments later, a deafening cheer rose up from the crowd and rumbled through the courtyard with enough force to shake the palace's foundation.

Though it took a few minutes for the crowd's adulation to calm, Azula waited patiently, soaking in their adoration, before she finally addressed them. "Today is both a day for grieving and a day for celebration," she intoned loudly, "We mourn the untimely passing of our beloved Firelord Ozai, but we rejoice in the knowledge that his dreams for the Fire Nation have finally become a reality. We offer thanks that he was able to live long enough to see this historical day. Our borders now touch all the corners of the world. We are no longer a small, but mighty nation. We have become an empire!" The people exploded with thunderous applause, filled with national pride. Azula did all that she could to stir their fervor.

"And as such," she continued, "it is no longer fitting that we refer to ourselves as merely the Fire _Nation_, because we have become so much more than that. We are now the _Imperial_ Nation of Fire. And I am no longer your Firelord, but your Fire _Empress_ Azula!"

"All hail Fire Empress Azula!" the sages and people chorused, "Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"

"Fire is the supreme element," Azula decreed, "_We_ are the one, true nation! Therefore, my first decree as Fire Empress Azula is to outlaw all forms of bending besides fire! Anyone found practicing or teaching the outlawed bending disciples will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. So I have spoken, so it is law!" A wide smile of triumph curled upon her lips as her citizens began vibrating with applause and singing her name in a worshipful litany.

"I don't like this at all."

Katara's protests were tantamount to screaming in the wind. She had made her feelings clear several times in several ways on several different occasions over the course of the last three days. And, as had become the customary response during her righteous rants, she was largely ignored. Very gradually, the initial misgivings the group had harbored over Zuko's plans had disappeared and now he had received nearly everyone's full support. The fact that she was the lone dissenter drove Katara crazy.

Presently, she stood outside the private dojo that Zuko had set aside for his sacred rite of passage and watched as her brother and friends marched in and out in a single file line. They busied themselves with delivering the items Zuko had requested, therefore, most of Katara's arguments went in one ear and out the other. She gaped at them in dismay.

"I can't believe you guys are actually supporting him in this!" she cried to no one in particular. "Has the world gone insane? He's barely recovered from his injuries! He's not ready for this!" She made a desperate grab for her brother as he exited the training area. "Sokka? Sokka? Are you listening to me? I'm telling you he's not ready!"

"Katara, get a grip!" Sokka exploded in exasperation, shrugging out from beneath her attempts to waylay him. "Listen, Zuko knows what he's doing," he informed her calmly, "This is important to him, Katara. Even if you don't agree, you should at least respect it."

"This isn't about disrespecting him," she insisted in a vibrating hiss, "I'm worried. He's not strong enough. What if something happens? We can't afford to lose him, Sokka!"

"We're not going to lose him," Sokka insisted, his tone gentled with the genuine fear he heard in her voice, "Do you really think he'd go through with this if he wasn't ready?"

"I don't understand why he's going through with it at all," Katara mumbled.

"It might help if you asked him," Aang suggested softly from beyond Sokka's shoulder.

Despite his response, however, Aang wasn't unsympathetic to Katara's feelings. Only a couple of days earlier, he'd harbored similar misgivings, but Zuko's explanation of his motives had done much to sway him. Aang well understood Zuko's need to observe the traditions of his heritage. In a way, by receiving his Airbender tattoos, Zuko would resurrect a culture that had been dead for one hundred years. He didn't blame Zuko for wanting to reconnect with his people in any way he could and he told Katara as much. His arguments weren't well received.

Katara flashed him with a mutinous glare. "You," she grated in an accusing whisper, "This is all _your_ fault!" Easily discerning the signs of his sister's impending meltdown, Sokka skirted from in between them and beat a hasty retreat while Katara rounded on Aang in all her frustrated fury. "I thought you were against this! You said you were going to talk him out of it!"

"You know how Zuko can be, Katara," Aang replied in a wry tone, "Nobody talks him out of anything. You should be able to relate to that perfectly."

Toph snorted a laugh at the pointed rejoinder as she passed by, which earned her a death glare from Katara…not that the blind Earthbender cared in the least. Aggravated, Katara plucked hold of Aang's sleeve and dragged him aside. "This isn't about me," she reasoned fervidly, "This is about Zuko and his health. He's still very fragile no matter what he says! What if something goes wrong, huh? He's my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to him!"

Aang framed her shoulders, unaware of encompassing comfort he provided with his steadying touch. "Katara, I'm not going to let anything happen to him," Aang reassured her softly, "I know very well what it's like to lose a best friend. I'll take care of him." Perhaps it was the reminder of what happened with Mai or the unwavering conviction with which he made the promise, but Katara found herself believing him. She was further reassured when Zuko tossed in his endorsement.

"Katara, you know I'm in good hands," he added, coming forward to join them. He clapped a hand onto Aang's shoulder. "I know he can do this. That's why I asked him in the first place."

She jerked a terse nod of acceptance. "I know," she whispered, throwing her arms around Zuko in a careful hug. Still, she couldn't help asking one, last time, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I'm sure," he answered, briefly returning her hug before stepping back to regard Aang somberly. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

After giving his friends careful instructions not to disturb them, Zuko firmly shut the doors of the dojo behind him and Aang. When he pivoted about, Aang was in the center of the room surveying the tools and pigments to be used for the tattooing process. "Nervous?" Zuko asked, noting the sickly green cast to Aang's skin.

"Very," Aang confirmed with a shuddering breath, "Don't hold it against me if I mess up."

"You're not going to mess up."

"If you say so," Aang replied in a tone that was thoroughly unconvinced. "I suppose you should get undressed and we'll get started."

"Not so fast," Zuko prefaced before Aang could begin arranging the utensils. He nodded towards two large knives lying atop a nearby pillow. "First things first."

"What are we supposed to do with those?" Aang wondered warily. Zuko dragged a hand through his shaggy hair, his meaning evident. Aang gave him a look. "You want me to shave your head?"

"I can shave my own head," Zuko replied with an exasperated eye roll. "I want you to shave yours."

"Excuse me—whuh? Why?"

"You said it yourself," Zuko reminded him. "This is a sacred thing we're attempting. We need to be as respectful of this process as we can, which means…" he continued, picking up one of the knives and tossing it towards Aang on a current of air, "…the hair goes."

Aang stared down at the blade in his hands with an unenthusiastic sigh. "Great." Fifteen minutes later, Aang was running a careful hand over the slope of his newly shaven scalp, not entirely decided on whether he liked being hairless or not. "This feels weird," he remarked with a frown.

"I think it feels great," Zuko sighed, feeling more like himself than he had in weeks. "You'll get used to it."

"Now what?"

"Now we get undressed," Zuko told him.

"We?"

"This process is going to involve some very deep meditation for both of us," Zuko explained, "It can get a little intense, Aang."

"Alright," Aang digested with a nervous breath, "You know best." Once he and Zuko had stripped down completely to their underwear, they sat down on the floor facing each other and assumed meditative poses. "Now what do I do?" Aang wondered.

"Put your hands together and close your eyes," Zuko instructed. Aang did so. "Now concentrate on your breathing. Don't count your breaths. Just breathe deeply. In and out. In and out. Detach yourself. See the motions of your mind. Let the thoughts flow through without criticism or judgment. Don't try to control them. You are only an observer."

Zuko's words were methodical, almost lulling in their tone. Before long, Aang began following the young Avatar's direction without any conscious effort at all. The process became almost second nature to him. "You want to seek peace," Zuko continued softly, "You want to recognize your place among all living things. You are no longer an individual. You have become everything because you are a part of everything. You are immortal because you live through the world. As it goes on, so do you…so do I…" Zuko sighed as the feeling began to take hold of him as well. "Can you feel it, Aang?" he whispered, "Can you feel how we are connected?"

"Yes…"

There was no longer any need for words. As the meditation exercise lengthened, their breathing became a synchronized thing, their pattern of thought, their very being entirely one. The dojo seemed to fade from around them, walls and floor melting away to become mist and light. They floated together, an extension of the mist enveloping them. It was as if they'd achieved an entirely new plane of existence, but one that was as old as time itself…a place where man never died because they lived on again and again through one another…a great circle of life.

Zuko felt unexpectedly inundated with incredible feelings of warmth and love and peace. The last time he'd felt such happiness, he had been a carefree child running through the halls of the Southern Air Temple and giving the monks more trouble than they'd bargained for. Filled with contentment at those remembered days, Zuko opened his eyes. He was unsurprised when he found Gyatso sitting in the spot where Aang had been. Somehow, the sight of his long dead mentor seemed like the most natural occurrence in the world. Zuko smiled at him fondly.

"Hello, my young pupil," Gyatso greeted with a smile of his own. "It's been far too long."


	47. Chapter Forty Six

**Chapter Forty-Six**

Zuko gladly threw himself into his guardian's waiting arms. When he felt Gyatso return the embrace, the tears he hadn't even realized he'd been holding back finally fell. He turned his face into Gyatso's collar and wept with all the sorrow and confusion that had been bottled up inside him for months. But, rather than feeling ashamed of his loss of emotional control, Zuko felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He hugged the old monk hard enough to momentarily rob him of breath. "Gyatso!" he cried jubilantly, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

Overwhelmed and overjoyed, Zuko reflexively tightened his hold, his fingers bunching in the sturdy material of Gyatso's robes. He was surprised by how real the embrace felt. It wasn't like touching a vision at all. Unlike the clouds of ethereal mist that were splattered about them in a hazy kaleidoscope of wafting colors, Gyatso was no illusion. There was nothing dreamlike about his presence. The warmth emanating from him was tangible and comfortably familiar to Zuko. It reminded him of the midnights they had spent in Pai Sho tournaments and cold nights counting the canopy of stars winking above the tip of the Southern Air Temple. He felt safe and protected. He felt like he'd come home. He felt loved.

"You have no idea how lost I've been without you," Zuko wept softly.

"And I always under the impression you thought you knew everything, Zuko," Gyatso teased him.

"I was wrong. I never should have left that night. I wish I hadn't."

"I'm glad you did," Gyatso told him. "It worked out for the best."

Zuko reared back with a disbelieving stare. "How can you say that?" he cried, "I'm the reason you're not here anymore. If I hadn't gotten so angry and left the Temple—,"

"You would have been killed with all the rest of us," Gyatso finished softly.

"You don't know that."

"And neither do you," his mentor countered, "What happened that night was what _should_ have happened."

"I don't know how you can say that," Zuko mumbled again.

"I only have to look at how much you've accomplished and how far you've come to say that," Gyatso told him. Noting his former pupil's mutinous expression; he smiled and reached out to give Zuko an affectionate pat on the head. "Still as pessimistic as ever, I see," he chided mildly, "Have you been so busy dwelling on the things you've lost that you haven't taken any time to consider what you've gained?"

"You make it sound so simple."

"It can be simple," Gyatso replied, "if you want it to be."

"I wanted to save you," Zuko whispered, "I wanted to make you proud of me."

"But I _am_ proud of you, Zuko."

Zuko gaped at him. "How can you say that?" he cried once more, half convinced that his mentor's words were spurred on by his subconscious need to hear them, "I've made so many mistakes!"

"And who of us doesn't make mistakes?" the monk returned wisely. "You're much too hard on yourself, Zuko. You always have been."

"I _should _be hard on myself," Zuko argued, "I'm the Avatar and—,"

"Don't finish that sentence," Gyatso interrupted mildly. "Surely by now you've learned you're not infallible. Sometimes the biggest mistake we make is in believing we're immune to making them…or that we should be."

"You don't know the destruction I've caused. I lose my temper and then I lose control and—,"

"No," Gyatso cut him off obstinately, "I won't hear any more of that kind of talk. Dwelling excessively on past mistakes accomplishes nothing. Learn from them and move on."

"But how can I move on if the thing inside me is something I can't control?" Zuko cried in frustration, "Half the time, I don't even _want_ it to happen. It just does!"

"I believe I can help you with that," Gyatso asserted. "I can teach you how to harness your power and control _it_, rather than allowing it to control _you_."

Zuko regarded him with rounded eyes. "You can do that?"

"It is an exercise that involves unlocking your chakras," Gyatso explained. Unfortunately, Zuko had no idea what he was talking about and it showed. The old monk chuckled. "I will explain it to you fully in a little while," Gyatso promised, "But first things first…you must promise me that you will give yourself the benefit of the doubt every now and then. The burden upon your shoulders is already great. You don't need to add to that, Zuko. Do you think you can manage that small thing for me?"

"Yes," Zuko conceded in a humble whisper, "I think I can manage it."

"I'm glad to hear it," Gyatso commended him, "So, now you can let yourself relax a little bit too." Zuko's response to that was a look that clearly said, "Not on your life." Gyatso chuckled. "An old Airbender can dream though, can't he?"

"You're making jokes, but…" Zuko trailed off into shamed silence, staring down at his folded hands. "You don't know the things I've done…the people I've hurt," he confessed miserably. "If you did, you'd hate me."

"Never," Gyatso vowed without a beat, "_Never._ I know your heart. I know your strength. I know you have the courage of a bull-lion and I know the world is safer in your hands."

"If you think that, you've been gone way too long," Zuko mumbled in wry aside.

Gyatso boomed a laugh. "And you've developed a sense of humor, I see," he chuckled in approval, "At last!"

Zuko tried hard to bite back his responding smile but it tenaciously tugged at the corners of his lips. "You can thank my friends for that," he said, "I have no choice but to laugh, otherwise they'd drive me crazy!"

"You sound happy." Gyatso regarded him with a wistful smile. "This was what I've always wanted for you."

"I am happy…" Zuko admitted before tacking on almost predictably, "Some of the time."

"That's better than not at all," Gyatso said, "I really am proud of you, Zuko."

"Really? I…I always thought you would be disappointed in me," Zuko confessed in a small voice.

"I have never been disappointed in you, Zuko," Gyatso told him, "and I never will be. You have become the Airbender I have always known you would become." He wriggled his eyebrows at Zuko in a playful manner. "And you don't make a half bad Avatar either."

His teasing provoked a rare chuckle from Zuko, but his mood quickly became somber once more. "I miss you so much," he confided gruffly. "It's hard without you."

"I'm always with you," the airbending master whispered. "My love for you…the love of your people, it will be with you always. Love is a form of energy, Zuko."

Above their heads, the rainbow colored clouds began to reshape themselves into the faces of his friends, beginning first with Sokka and Katara before morphing into a grinning Aang, followed by Toph and Suki and lastly Mai. Zuko's stare lingered longingly on her wispy façade until she became a shapeless mass of color once more.

Reading the sorrow in his pupil's eyes, Gyatso sought to reassure him. "It will come back to you," he whispered in promise, "Love _always_ returns."

"I want _her_ to come back to me," Zuko whispered back adamantly.

Gyatso said nothing to that, but merely smiled and placed a gentle hand onto Zuko's shoulder. "Are you ready to begin now?" he asked.

Zuko glanced from Gyatso's face to the tattooing utensils that suddenly materialized between them and then back to the airbending master. He jerked his head in a firm nod. "Yes. I'm ready."

The process was meticulous and agonizing, but Zuko did not cry out. Instead, he entered a deep, meditative trance where the pain merely flirted with the edges of his conscious mind. Within the untouched recesses of his inner self, he could hear the sound of laughter echoing through the marble corridors of the Air Temple. He could see the horizon dotted with dozens upon dozens of sleek air gliders. Zuko smiled as he watched them weave in and out of a clear, cerulean sky populated with soaring bison and lemurs. He could smell the clean scent of the wind, could taste the sweet dewdrops on his tongue. He was alive and free and floating. He _was_ air.

Pain became an illusion. A fog. A dream…

"Are you ready to begin unlocking the chakras now?" the clouds asked him gently.

"The chakras?" he wondered blissfully.

"It's time, Zuko," Gyatso whispered.

He snapped erect and grimaced at the needling pain that seemed to prickle all over his perspiration soaked body. Zuko gritted his teeth against that as well as the discomfort caused by the raised blisters that sprawled across the middle of his chest. As gingerly as he was able, Zuko pushed himself upright and, as he did, he caught a glimpse of his hand. Etched precisely into his pale skin was a pale, blue arrow. He sucked in a laughing breath before fixing Gyatso with shining eyes. "You've finished? It's all done?"

The old monk's eyes twinkled. "It's my best work, I think."

"I'll say," Zuko breathed, inspecting the length of his arm with wonder-filled eyes. "Can I see the whole thing?"

Gyatso's eyes crinkled with a fond smile. "Not just yet, my impetuous young Airbender," he cautioned, "Your journey is only partially complete. You must finish your task in its entirety and _then_ you can look in the mirror all you want."

With that incentive put before him, Zuko straightened and regarded his master with a solemnly focused look. "Okay, where do we begin?"

"There are seven different chakras leading up the body, Zuko," Gyatso explained, "and each is connected to a specific purpose. These chakras, or pools of energy, swirl about in our bodies. In you, they allow pure cosmic energy to flow freely. But sometimes, as happens in life, these swirling pools can be blocked by emotional muck and when they're blocked…"

"…energy can't flow freely," Zuko concluded in understanding.

"Exactly," Gyatso commended him, "The exercise you are about to undergo is designed to unblock your chakras so that the energy within you can flow freely. This can be a very intense experience, Zuko, so you should prepare yourself. Once we begin, we cannot stop."

The warning raised fine bumps of gooseflesh, but Zuko refused to shrink back. If possible, he held himself more erect than he had before. "Let's do it," he declared.

"The first chakra we will open is the Earth chakra and it is found at the base of the spine," Gyatso began, "This chakra deals with survival and is blocked by fear. What are you most afraid of, Zuko?"

Images flashed before him with the question, harsh and bleak, a world bathed in red and eaten up with fire. Destruction and chaos were stamped into the fiery hillsides. There was nothing as far as the eye could see besides barren, charred wasteland. Only thick, choking ash remained and he stood in the center of the sooty storm…the cause of it all. Zuko recoiled from the illusion with a repulsed mewl of horror.

"You shape your own destiny, Zuko," Gyatso whispered, "You are afraid that facing the Firelord will cause you to lose yourself, but only you have the power to make these images come true or allow them to remain as they are now…nothing more than a bad dream."

The wisdom in Gyatso's observation was gentle, yet irrefutable. For a long time, Zuko had lacked confidence in himself and the decisions he'd made. He knew what he had to do. He simply hadn't known _how_ to go about doing it. But those days were past now and his nightmares were nothing more than nightmares. In the preceding months, he had come of age. He had grown, not only as the Avatar, but as _Zuko_. He was ready now. He was no longer afraid.

Zuko relaxed, his heartbeat normalizing with the realization. "Okay," he breathed.

"Good," Gyatso murmured with an approving smile, "You have unlocked your Earth chakra. Now we will move on to Water." Zuko nodded for him to continue. "This chakra deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt," the older Airbender said, "Look at all the guilt that burdens you. What do you blame yourself for?"

A myriad of images tumbled before Zuko on what seemed like an endless reel. The replay of events began with the night he blew up at the monks and stormed off, never realizing that moment would be the last time he would look upon them or the world he had known, and ended with Mai's horrifying death in Ba Sing Se. Zuko swallowed the anguished sob that rose in his throat. "I bring death to whatever I touch," he choked mournfully, "especially the things I love."

"These are things you cannot change, Zuko," Gyatso told him gently, "You must forgive yourself."

Zuko regarded him with glistening eyes. "Do _you_ forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Gyatso whispered.

The words were like a healing balm to Zuko. Until the moment Gyatso uttered them, Zuko wasn't entirely sure he believed it. He had felt culpable in his people's demise for so long that he was almost afraid to absolve himself. After the horrors his people had suffered, _the world_ had suffered, doing so seemed too easy. But Gyatso's words did finally absolve him and, at last, the heavy burden of shame and self-flagellation lifted from his shoulders. The young Avatar closed his eyes and exhaled a shuddering breath. "I'm ready to move on now."

"Third is the Fire chakra, located in the stomach," Gyatso began, "This chakra deals with will power and is blocked by shame. What are your biggest disappointments in yourself, Zuko?"

Gashuin's colorless features flashed through Zuko's mind. He remembered the Sandbender as he had looked only moments before the life went out of him. Zuko could still recall the omnipotent feeling that had coursed through his veins as he'd bent the life from Gashuin's body. Yet, even stronger than that memory was the shamed revulsion that had settled upon him in the aftermath…a shame that continued to linger.

"I didn't have to kill him," he mumbled, "I didn't control myself and that's why it happened. I don't want to be that person again. I _hate_ that person. But he's still lurking inside me. He's a part of me no matter what I do."

"As he should be," Gyatso whispered, "Part of your responsibilities as Avatar is to mete out justice when it is required. You cannot avoid that. However, your justice must be tempered with wisdom and compassion. If you learn to balance these three things, Zuko, you can trust your judgment."

"Okay," Zuko accepted with a small nod of trust.

"The fourth chakra is located in the heart. It deals with love, but is blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out before you, Zuko."

"You already know my grief," Zuko muttered thickly, "I miss you. I miss home. I wish I could go back."

"I'm with you."

"Yeah, _now_," Zuko snorted, his dissatisfaction over that truth evident, "But I when I leave here, it will all be the same again. You'll be gone."

"Zuko, I am _always_ with you…" Gyatso whispered as another flood of images overtook Zuko suddenly.

He was bombarded by memories of Aang…holding onto Appa's tail, attempting to coax him into a freezing lake, teasing him for not smiling enough…lame jokes…sage advice…an indomitable, optimistic spirit…unshakable loyalty…so much like someone he'd loved and known before. _I've always known that you and I would be connected in some fundamental way someday. I didn't know how or why, but I knew our destinies were intertwined_ … Zuko remembered those words Aang had spoken with unbelievable clarity. He gasped sharply as the realization dawned on him.

"Why didn't you say anything to me?" he demanded in gaping incredulity. He groaned in lamentation. "The things I said to you…the way I treated you in the beginning…"

"That's not quite how it works, Zuko," his mentor laughed, "Aang knows nothing of this beyond the strong connection he feels for you."

"How is this possible?"

"Remember what I told you before," Gyatso reminded him, "Love is energy and it swirls all around us. It never dies, but is reborn in the form of new love. In my lifetime, I knew you once…as Avatar Roku and you and I became very close. Some friendships defy even death and live on through time and space. We have a friendship like that, my young pupil, and we always will."

Zuko wiped away the tears falling on his cheeks, smiling in relief and amazement. "I guess I'll stop giving Aang such a hard time from now on when he tries to hug me," he said wryly.

"That would be nice," Gyatso teased before adopting a more serious manner. "The fifth is the Sound chakra and it deals with truth and is blocked by lies. What lies do you tell yourself, Zuko?"

"I don't tell lies," he replied.

"Zuko," Gyatso chided in a knowing tone. "_That_ is a lie."

Zuko released a frustrated huff, both irritated and amazed that, even with a hundred years and death separating them, his old mentor still knew him well. "Maybe…maybe it's when I say I'm not afraid," he whispered, "I act like I'm not and I say I'm not, but I'm afraid all the time. I'm afraid of being alone."

"But you aren't alone," Gyatso reminded him. "You're surrounded by friends and surrounded by love."

A sudden scene of those aforementioned friends materialized before Zuko. He could see them huddled outside the dojo, worry etched deeply into their features as they waited for some sign that all was going well. Katara paced in frantic little circles while Sokka and Suki did their best to calm her. Toph, on the other hand, merely stood quietly, with her ear pressed to the door…listening. "I specifically asked them _not_ to hover," Zuko sighed in exasperation.

"Did you expect anything different?" Gyatso asked, smiling.

"No, I guess not," Zuko replied, secretly glad they hadn't listened to him. He expelled another heavy breath as that worry finally lifted from his heart. "What's next?"

"We have now reached the Light chakra and it is located in the center of the forehead," Gyatso told him, "It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of the world is the illusion of separation. The things you think are separate are actually very much connected."

"You mean like the four nations?"

Gyatso's eyes flared wide with surprise. "I see you've learned this lesson already."

"I'm _learning_ it," Zuko corrected, "I still have a ways to go, but I'm beginning to understand that we are all connected in some way, even the four elements connect and balance one another."

"You didn't need my help to open this chakra at all," Gyatso teased him.

"But I appreciate your effort anyway," Zuko quipped with a smile. "So we've reached the final chakra now, right?"

"Yes, we have," Gyatso confirmed, "Once you open this chakra, you will be able to go into the Avatar State at will."

"No more random destruction?"

"No more random destruction," Gyatso confirmed. "This final chakra deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world, Zuko." He did and, inevitably, when he closed his eyes his friends' smiling faces filled his mind. He could almost hear their bickering in his head and the sound was strangely comforting…almost musical. He missed them. He loved them. Though he had lost his home and family, he had gained new ones through them. _They_ were his home and his family now.

"Do you have the images fixed firmly in your mind, Zuko?" his mentor asked. Zuko answered with a contented nod. "Good. Now let them go."

Zuko's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"You must learn to let them go," Gyatso advised him, "You cannot hold onto attachments and let the cosmic energy flow as well."

"But you were the one talking about how I was surrounded by love a few minutes ago and how that was a good thing!" Zuko burst out, "And now you're saying I have to just throw it all away for cosmic energy?" He folded his arms stubbornly. "Well, in that case, forget it. I'm not doing it."

Rather than being appalled over Zuko's obstinate reaction, Gyatso threw back his head and laughed. "Zuko, I am not asking you to let them go _forever_," he said, "But, in order to fulfill your duties as Avatar, you cannot allow your feelings for them to cloud your judgment or dictate your actions. You must act on behalf of _all_ the people of the world, not just the ones you care about personally."

"And it doesn't have to be forever," Zuko prompted, just to be sure, "I won't lose them?"

"You won't lose them," Gyatso reassured him.

The Avatar inclined his head in a trusting nod. "I understand now," he whispered, closing his eyes once more. "I'm ready."

As the last chakra opened like a lotus blossom in a reedy pool, the rainbow colored mist surrounding Zuko swiftly gave way to a starry cosmos. He found himself alone in the winking blackness, walking a narrow path of light towards a dark, looming figure in the distance. Strangely, however, he wasn't afraid. As he advanced closer, his new tattoos began to glow and he realized that the figure on the horizon was…himself. Two shadowed hands swept down to scoop him up and he was cradled in the palms. The figure brought him close so that he was staring directly into a pair of gleaming eyes so large and bright they reminded him of twin suns.

His heart leaping with anticipation, Zuko waited for the figure to speak. It seemed like more than an eternity passed before the mouth opened. And once it had, the results were unexpected.

A beam of blinding light poured out from the orifice, so brilliant that Zuko had to shield his face against the awesome glow. As he squinted through the blush of radiance, he saw a sinewy, black tiger with glowing white stripes emerge from the mouth. With feline agility, it leapt into the palms right in front of Zuko. Before he could react with a natural survival instinct and scramble to safety, however, the animal suddenly began to shift into the form of a man, a figure comprised purely of shadow and light. Frozen, Zuko stared at the form in wordless amazement.

"I am Wei Li," the shadow said. His voice had a legion-like quality and echoed through the starry void. "I am as old as the earth. I was here when time began. In the period before the Avatar, we bent not the elements, but the energy within ourselves and all people were one. I wanted to give man a gift, the opportunity to become one, not only with one another, but with the animals and elements that surrounded them.

"I was the one who taught the animals to bend the elements and, in turn, they taught man," Wei Li continued, "The animals were the first benders. But, in learning the elements, the world did not come together as I had hoped, but separated themselves into four, distinct nations. I was saddened by this because that was not what I had intended. I forsook my natural place as a spirit and took a human's form to unite what had been divided. _I_ was the first Avatar and I live on through you. You are me and I am you. We are connected."

"Why are you telling me this?" Zuko whispered.

"You are the balance," Wei Li said, "The elements and the people of the world become one through you. But you cannot make them whole when you are not whole yourself." The light within Wei Li's body began to shift outward, producing the form of the Avatar that had followed him in the cycle…the first true human, an Airbender. That Airbender then produced the form of the Waterbender that followed him and so on and so on until the cosmos were circled with the visages of Zuko's past lives, until the stars were barely visible. "Remember who we are, Zuko…" the spirit whispered, moments before he entered Zuko's body, "We are one…"

A surge of energy exploded through Zuko's limbs, filling him with the timeless knowledge and awareness of the mysterious spirit who had spoken to him moments earlier. He was overwhelmed by the event, left dizzy and breathless and dazed, but enlightened as well…full of peace. Yet, even before Zuko could recover from that awesome experience, he was invaded yet again by the next incarnation of the Avatar. They began to flow into his body like a cosmic river, on and on, faster and faster. They merged with him, became a part of his spirit…made him whole. Zuko's entire frame vibrated with the powerful force of it all, levitating in the air slightly as the energy streamed into him with the brilliant force of a thousand bursting stars.

Wei Li spoke to him from within. "Let their energy fill you, Zuko…_your_ energy," he whispered, "Do not fight it. Let it heal you…heal yourself…"

Zuko relaxed and opened himself to the encompassing power. As he did, the feeling of discomfort and pain in his tattoos and wound began to lessen. What began as something shocking and stark gradually became to Zuko something welcome and natural. The last of the avatars to enter his body was Roku and, with that final joining, the living light inside Zuko winked out and he floated back down to the illuminated path that had led him there. For a few minutes, he lay there prone, spent and breathless and trembling. When he had regained a measure of strength, Zuko opened his eyes.

Once he had, the first thing he saw was the backs of his tattooed hands. Already the swelling and redness had gone down from them and he noticed that he could flex his fingers without pain. A close inspection of the tattoos covering his shins and feet yielded similar findings. Only then did Zuko become aware of the lack of ache in his chest. When he looked down, he discovered that his blistered skin had completely healed. The flesh appeared smooth and healthy, as if he'd never been injured at all. Stunned, he ran his hand over his bare chest, needed to feel the difference for himself.

"Zuko?"

Smiling, Zuko lifted his eyes and found Gyatso hovering above him. However, the image the old monk presented was an unfamiliar one. While Zuko's scar had healed, Gyatso appeared to have acquired one that was oddly reminiscent of the burn Aang had received from his father. As Zuko puzzled over that strange finding, the image began to morph so that Gyatso's features were slowly replaced with Aang's and, as they were, the facial disfigurement gradually faded as well. When it was over, Aang was left floating against a blanket of stars, draped in the ceremonial robes of an Air Nomad, his head shaved, his features unmarred…just as Zuko had seen him in a vision once before. Only now, he understood fully what that vision had meant.

Aang touched his face, frowning as he palmed the unexpected changes, hardly understanding the reason for them. He darted eyes full of question towards Zuko. "Zuko, what's going on?" he asked. "Is this a dream?"

Zuko smiled, placing his hand over his heart and, thereby, bringing attention to his own unscarred skin and the spiritual healing that had taken place for him as well. "We are connected," he told Aang.

His friend stared at him in mystified wonder. "So what happens now?"

"We wake up," Zuko whispered, "Open your eyes, Aang. It's time to go home."

Immediately following his own words, Zuko's eyes flashed open as his powerful spiritual journey came to an abrupt end. He was instantly thrust back into the physical world, no longer surrounded by a mist of vibrant colors or swirling cosmos, but was once again seated directly across from Aang. It felt almost as if nothing at all had happened, but Zuko had only to look at his friend and himself to know that _everything_ had changed. Aang seemed to know that as well. The Firebender stared at him with an expression that could only be described as catatonic incredulity.

"Whoa…" Aang finally whispered in a dazed tone, "That was really intense." They were the first and last words he uttered before his eyes fell shut and he wilted backwards into the padded ground with a deep, resonating snore.


	48. Chapter Forty Seven

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

"I'm beginning to worry," Katara announced as she burst out onto the beach.

Sokka barely glanced up from his sand sculpture of Suki while Toph finished putting the final touches on her miniature sand replica of Ba Sing Se. By their lack of response and overall disinterest, her friends made it abundantly clear to Katara that they intended to continue enjoying their day in the sun. She growled over their insouciance.

"Is anyone listening to me?" she screeched in frustration.

"It isn't that we aren't listening to you," Suki answered mildly, careful not to move too much or else Sokka would complain about her "wrecking his creative flow" again. She regarded Katara as much as she was able in spite of that. "I just think that maybe…well…maybe you're being a little too sensitive about this whole thing." Katara gaped at her in betrayal as she hurried to add, "Please don't be mad."

"Don't coddle her," Toph piped in sharply. She rounded on the Waterbender. "Katara, you're acting like a crazed lunatic! The reason we aren't listening to you is because you've been saying the same thing for days now and it's gotten old."

Suki sighed at Toph's brutal phrasing before making an awkward attempt to pretty it up. "I think what Toph means is that you've been practically pacing the floor the entire time they've been in there," she told her friend, "You've always been uneasy about the idea, so it doesn't really alarm us when you freak out now. No offense."

"None taken," Katara replied sardonically. She threw a desperate glance at her brother. "Sokka, you understand, right?"

The young warrior shrugged. "Hey, I have to agree with Toph," he said, "Katara, I love you and, please don't take this the wrong way, but you're out of your mind."

"Okay, okay…I know I've been a little tense about the whole thing," Katara admitted gamely, "But you have to give me credit. I didn't break down the door when the room started vibrating, did I?"

"Only because Sokka held you back and threatened to tie you down if you didn't get a grip," Toph remarked wryly.

"What about when that weird glow started coming from underneath the door? I remained completely calm," Katara pressed on stubbornly.

"Calm? You were still camped outside when we went to bed! You didn't sleep a wink the whole night!" Sokka snorted. "I've said it once already, but it bears repeating…you've been a basket case!"

"With good reason! We're going on the _fourth_ day, you guys!" she emphasized dramatically, "Doesn't anybody besides _me_ wonder what that could mean?"

"That they seriously have to go to the bathroom right now?" Sokka offered.

"That they'll be starving when they come out?" Suki considered.

"That they smell?" Toph ventured.

Katara released a serrated groan of mounting exasperation. "Fine. Mock me," she declared with a huff of offended dignity, "But if something happens to them, it's on all of your heads!"

That wrathful and melodramatic declaration finally compelled her brother to put his sculpture on hold and lurch around to regard her with unconcealed irritation. "Katara, nothing is going to happen to them," he sighed, "They're inside a glowing room! What's the worst that could happen?" Before his sister could open her mouth to argue that point, however, Sokka pressed on. "We knew before they went in there that this was going to take a little time and that things would likely get freaky due to the fact Zuko is the Avatar. It comes with the territory."

"But it's been _four_ days," Katara lamented.

"It's really a matter of whether you trust them or not," Sokka told his sister. "Zuko and Aang are big boys and they've survived things that would kill normal people. Don't you think they can take care of themselves?"

"Of course, I do," she mumbled in chagrin.

"Then cut the apron strings already!" Toph grumped, "Sheesh!"

"Stop giving her a hard time, you guys," Zuko suddenly said from somewhere behind them, "I kind of like knowing she cares."

Upon hearing his voice, Katara's emotions veered crazily once more. She went from anxious uncertainty to exulted relief in a matter of seconds. She lurched around to find him standing a few feet away, clad only in a pair of loose fitting knee trousers and smiling at her faintly. In an instance of pure joy, Katara started to squeal his name and pitch herself against him in a mighty hug when the full impact of his appearance hit her abruptly.

Stunned, Katara appraised him with an amazed once over, meticulously taking in the precise details of his full body tattoo. "Wow…" she breathed, circling him slowly so that she could absorb the full effect, "…you look amazing, Zuko." The young Avatar's face bloomed with self-conscious color as his friends closed in around him for closer inspection. Above their heads, Katara bestowed Zuko with a smile full of infinite pride. "You're a true airbending master now," she said.

"I'll admit the tattoos are nice, but they're pretty conspicuous, aren't they?" Sokka considered with a thoughtful rub of his chin, "How are we supposed to hide them? You'll definitely advertise yourself as the Avatar wherever you go from now on."

"I don't think that's a bad thing, Sokka," Zuko told him, "I'm proud of who I am and the responsibility I have to the world." His answer was so full of wisdom and acceptance that his friends couldn't help but nod in understanding, proud and awed by how much he'd grown. "As for concealing them, we'll figure something out. I'll be careful."

"These look pretty sweet," Suki whistled. She closely followed the pale blue streak along the slope of his spine with her eyes, "I didn't expect Aang to do such good work. These lines are really flawless…they're almost elegant."

"Well, he had a little help," Zuko remarked rather mysteriously.

With the mention of Aang, the Firebender's conspicuous absence was suddenly magnified and, for that reason, Zuko's cryptic response wasn't questioned too much at first. "So where is he anyway?" Katara asked, glancing around for the older boy, "Why didn't he come out here with you?" Immediately, a new wave of panic seized her as a multitude of dire possibilities suddenly tumbled through her mind. "Nothing happened to him, did it? He's alright, isn't he?"

"Katara, he's fine," Zuko half laughed, half groaned, "Calm down. He's just sleeping."

"Sleeping?" she echoed blankly.

"He's exhausted," Zuko explained with a yawn, "It's been a long few days. We went on a spiritual journey together and the process was a little…intense. I don't blame him for being tired. I'd probably be sleeping too if my stomach weren't growling so loudly. I need food."

"And a bath," Toph interjected wryly with a crinkle of her pert nose. "I was right. You _do_ smell!"

Zuko furtively sniffed his armpit and promptly grimaced. "Yeah, I could definitely use a bath," he agreed.

Laughing at that, Katara started to offer him assistance back into the house when she suddenly realized that Zuko wasn't acting like someone still recovering from a life threatening injury at all. He wasn't limping about and grimacing in pain as he had been days before. In fact, he wasn't even a sickly pale color anymore, but appeared healthy and energetic. But most noticeably of all, Katara realized in staggered disbelief, the swollen burn scar that had covered a good portion of his chest before had seemingly vanished. In the excitement over his new tattoos, Katara had barely noticed its absence. Now, however, that unbelievable change had her undivided attention.

"Zuko!" she exclaimed in a dubious squeak, "Where in the world is your scar?"

For the second time in a five minute span, Zuko's friends surrounded him like a flock of flapping birds. They crowded in close for an unobstructed view. And, once they had it, there was at least a full minute of complete silence. No one even blinked. When they recovered from their understandable shock, however, they did so simultaneously and began bombarding him with questions and observations.

"How did you get better so fast?" Sokka breathed as he inspected the unmarred flesh of Zuko's chest, "That's amazing."

"It's like it was never even there," Suki remarked in wonderment, "You can't even see traces of a scar."

"That's too bad," Toph tsked, "The best part of battle is being able to tell the story behind the war wounds."

"I-I don't understand…" Katara stammered, bouncing a look to Zuko that was a mixture of amazement and alarm. "How can this be? It should have taken multiple healing sessions for your injury to get better and, even then, you'd still have a scar!"

"It's kind of a complicated story," Zuko hedged.

"Well, we're not going anyplace," Katara guffawed, "Tell us what's going on, Zuko!"

"Even if I tried to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand it," he replied. However, one look at his friends' faces told Zuko that they didn't find his answer satisfying in the slightest and they had no intention of dropping it. "Okay," he relented with a sigh, "Let's just say that I managed to gain incredible access to all the cosmic energy in the universe and through that harnessed power I was able to heal myself."

"Uh…what?" Toph grunted. "All I heard was blah, blah, blah, spiritual mumbo-jumbo, something about space…"

Exasperated, Zuko rolled his eyes. "You see what I mean? There's no use in trying to explain the details. I'm healed. I'm able to train now. Let's just leave it at that."

But Zuko already suspected that his friends wouldn't "leave it at that" and they didn't disappoint him. "So what are you telling us, Zuko?" Katara queried, "Did the Avatar State heal you or something?"

"And here I thought all it was raw, destructive power," Sokka remarked in an under-breath, "Who knew?"

"It's actually a defense mechanism," Zuko corrected patiently.

"Then how did it heal you at all?" Suki wanted to know.

"You guys, the Avatar State didn't heal me," Zuko explained, "_I_ healed myself by using the power given to me in the Avatar State."

"So does that mean you're a healer now?" Katara concluded with a dumbfounded frown, "You mean I had to sit through all those boring classes with Yugoda and you just learn to do it with a snap of your fingers? That's…that's…" She groped around for the right word before settled with a shrill, "How is that fair?"

"It wasn't like that at all," Zuko retorted, "And I'm not a healer, Katara!"

"Wait a minute. I'm confused," Suki said, "Didn't you just say you _healed_ yourself?"

"She's right," Toph interjected, "You did. Isn't that like the very definition of a healer?"

"Not necessarily," Zuko prefaced.

"So you _didn't_ heal yourself then?" Toph countered, frowning in her attempt to understand.

"Yes, I healed myself!" Zuko burst out vehemently.

Sokka scowled at his answer, more confused than ever. "But, Zuko, you just said—,"

"Okay…okay…" Zuko huffed in exasperation before their questioning could go any further, "Sokka, Katara…do remember how I used to be able to waterbend when I was in the state even _before_ I actually learned waterbending?"

"Yeah," the siblings answered simultaneously, "we remember."

"Well, it's something like that," Zuko explained. "When I'm in the state I'm able to channel the combined bending abilities of all my past lives, even the ones with healing ability."

"Whoa…" Toph breathed as she finally began to understand what he was saying, "…that's a lot of power."

"Yeah, it is," Zuko agreed.

"But, you've never been able to control that before," Katara argued, "So how are you suddenly able to do it now?"

"An old friend showed me the way," Zuko told her.

"This is one of those weird Avatar things, isn't it?" Sokka surmised dryly and before Zuko could even nod in confirmation, he added, "In that case, don't even try to explain to me. My brain is still throbbing from the whole healing thing."

"I still don't understand what's happened," Katara sighed, "and I probably never will, but…I'm glad you're okay now, Zuko. That's all that matters."

"Good. So, are we done with the questions?" Zuko asked grumpily, "Can I finally have some lunch now?"

"I thought you were going to take a bath," Toph reminded him, "Please, do that _now_! Let's try to keep in mind that the blind girl's sense of smell is extremely heightened."

"Sorry about that, Toph," Zuko replied sheepishly.

"Why don't you go back into the house and get cleaned up?" Katara suggested to Zuko. "I'll have lunch waiting for you when you're done.'

"Thanks, Katara."

As they started back towards the house for lunch, Katara said, "Maybe while you're having your bath, I'll check on Aang too…just to make sure he's comfortable."

"Yeah, you should do that," Zuko agreed before adding in a careful tone, "But Katara, before you do…you might want to prepare yourself for something."

"Prepare myself for what?" she parroted, scowling at him. "I thought you said he was okay."

"He _is_ okay," Zuko insisted.

"Then what is it?"

An indescribable look passed across Zuko's features. "Let's just say that there are a few things about him that are a little different now."

Aang stared into the looking glass with a disbelieving frown, skimming his fingers experimentally over the smooth new flesh of his cheek and eye and ear, unable to absorb the dramatic changes that had taken place in his appearance. More than a few hours had elapsed since he'd awakened to discover his new face. He had spent much of that time trying to respond to questions he didn't have the answers to. Only Zuko seemed knowledgeable about what had happened to him. Yet, when Aang had pressed him about it, he'd responded with a vague, "I was able to heal myself and, because of our connection, you were healed too" and had left it at that. Aang supposed that was a good thing and he certainly didn't want to appear ungrateful, but he also couldn't stop himself from asking "why."

"Still haven't gotten over it, have you?" Startled, Aang whipped around to find Katara leaning in the threshold of his bedroom door. She smiled at him. "Yeah," she whispered, correctly discerning the confusing thoughts tumbling through his mind right then, "I haven't gotten over it either. I'm having an easier time adjusting to your shaved head."

"Me too," he said, self-consciously running a hand over the crown of his skull. "Is it too weird?" he asked her.

Katara cocked her head to one side in pensive consideration. "Strangely enough, I think it's growing on me. Somehow it works for you."

"Well, don't get too used to it," Aang mumbled wryly. With a shuddering breath, he turned back towards the mirror to inspect his unscarred features once again. "I…I can't believe this is happening," he murmured in a dazed tone, "I can't believe I'm looking at myself. This feels like a dream."

Katara came to stand alongside him and slipped her hand into his. She gave his fingers a light squeeze. "It's no dream," she whispered, "Are you happy?"

"I don't know what to feel," Aang confessed, turning towards her, "When I agreed to help Zuko, I never expected anything like this."

"Me either," Katara whispered, "I think part of me is a little jealous because I was hoping to be the one to heal it for you. Isn't that silly?"

Aang bestowed her with a crooked smile. "It's not silly," he replied, "Ever since you told me about what you wanted to do with the spirit water, whenever I've imagined myself without it…I always thought of you, Katara. Not that I'd really thought about it much before then. The scar was a part of me for so long…I almost stopped seeing it." He chuckled at the irony. "I can't believe my biggest concern was how I was going to adjust to having a bald head. Now look at me."

"I am," Katara murmured. She gazed at him admiringly, her expression suddenly becoming shy and tentative. "Can I…can I touch it?"

"Go ahead," Aang invited.

Katara lifted a shaking hand to his face and carefully smoothed the pads of her fingers over the rejuvenated flesh of his eyelid and cheek before coasting around to feel the delicate contours of his ear. "Your skin is so soft," she whispered in an awed tone.

He blushed over the assessment, but found himself whispering back, "Your hand is soft."

Their gazes converged in a profoundly intimate moment that was so intense that Katara had to give herself conscious instruction to let her hand fall. She took a reflexive step backwards and cleared her throat. "It looks good on you," she decided objectively, "It makes you look a little younger than fifteen."

"Sixteen," Aang corrected, "As of today."

Katara inhaled a sharp breath. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Aang shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's just a day."

"No, it's not. I want to do something special for you," Katara insisted.

He pointed to his face. "_This_ is plenty special already." And then, he swept up her hands in his own, twining his fingers with hers. "You're here with me and, after the way I've been treating you, that's pretty special too."

"Aang, you don't have t—,"

"No, let me say this," he pushed on stubbornly, "I have been a jerk to you and I'm sorry. I've been in this really awful place. Part of me just wanted to stay there because the thought of letting myself care about anything just hurt too much. I've been rude and dismissive and there's no excuse for it." He stared down at their clasped hands, unable to meet her earnest stare any longer. "I guess the only thing I can tell you is that…when a person is hurting the way I've been hurting, it's always easiest to take the pain out on the people you love the most."

"Well…" Katara whispered softly, "I suppose it's lucky for you that the people who love _you_ most understand." He darted a surprised look at her, obviously not expecting such a response at all. "My feelings haven't changed, Aang. I still stand by what I told you before. I love you." This time, however, Katara wasn't content to merely state the words. She wanted to _show _Aang how she felt.

Biting her lip in nervous anticipation, Katara rose up on her toes to frame Aang's face and kiss him before she lost her nerve. His reaction to her bold action was a short, stunned gasp, but Aang soon got over his surprise. His eyes sank closed as he relaxed against her and began tentatively kissing her back. They pressed closer as the kiss deepened…became a maddened exploration of hands and lips and skin.

Katara wrapped her arms about his neck, whimpering with pleasure and surprise when she felt Aang's fingers slip into her hair and curve around the nape of her neck. His free hand splayed wide against her lower back and braced her against him so that their bodies were perfectly aligned. Their hearts thudded in a mutual, staccato rhythm. Aang had an awkward time maintaining his balance and the kiss and, consequently, he and Katara bumped clumsily into several pieces of furniture. Neither of them noticed nor cared.

And that was how Sokka and Suki found them, wrapped in each other's arms and kissing like they never intended to stop. Sokka cleared his throat loudly. With that gruff intrusion of sound, Aang and Katara tore away from each other, stumbling and whirling to opposite sides of the room with matching expressions of blushing guilt. They could barely look at each other, much less Sokka who they fully expected to be furious. Cringing inwardly, they prepared themselves for his explosion.

It never came. What they received instead was, "I called for you both, but I guess you didn't hear me because you were…ahem…busy." Dual stares of dumbfounded incredulity bounced to Sokka's face. "Don't look at me like that," he grumped, "I'm not an idiot. I knew what was going on between you two this whole time. It was clear as day." Suki cleared her throat meaningfully. "Er…well, at least after I received some insight on the matter," Sokka amended sheepishly, "But that's not the point. I can beat Aang senseless some other time. Right now, we've got bigger problems to deal with."

"Why? What's happened?" Aang asked, frowning.

"Well, Katara's been complaining for days about how we're getting low on food," Sokka began, "so Suki and I decided to do her a favor and go into the market and pick up a few things."

"Wasn't that dangerous?" Katara burst out, "What if someone had seen you?"

"You're welcome," her brother returned dryly.

"Katara, don't worry. We were dressed in our proper Fire Nation disguises just like we are now and we were careful," Suki reassured her, "The point is…we found out some rather shocking news while we were there." She glanced over at Aang, her forehead crinkled with a concerned frown. "You might want to sit down."

"Whatever it is, I can take it. Just tell me," Aang sighed a little impatiently.

"It's Firelord Ozai," Sokka prefaced grimly, "He's dead."

Despite his earlier assertion that he "could take it," Aang weaved a bit with the news. He didn't feel sadness and grief so much as he felt shock. There was no overwhelming desire to cry, no inescapable sense of loss. He felt…numb. Shaking with the ambiguous emotions, Aang braced himself against the back of a nearby chair to keep from falling over. Seconds later, he felt Katara's hand smoothing soothing circles in the small of his back.

"Are you sure?" he asked Sokka. "If you heard that in the marketplace, it could be just a rumor. Things like that circulate all the time."

"It's not a rumor, Aang. It's all in here," Sokka replied, passing the scroll containing the details to his friend. "I'm sorry. I mean, I'm not sorry he's dead or anything, but… He _was_ your father."

"No," Aang denied gruffly, "he wasn't…not in the way it counted." With trembling fingers, he unrolled the parchment and began to read, his expression growing darker with each line.

"What does it say?" Katara whispered anxiously when she noticed his unhappy expression.

"Just what Sokka and Suki said it did," Aang told her. He flicked her with clouded eyes. "The Firelord is dead."

"That's good, isn't it?" Katara burst out, "Doesn't that mean the war is over? Aren't you next in the royal line?"

"No. I'm disinherited. My sister has been crowned Firelord in his place…" He glanced back at the parchment with a sneer of disgust, tossing it into the empty chair. "Or should I say _Fire Empress_? Unbelievable," he finished in a disdainful mutter.

"Fire Empress? What does that mean?" Katara questioned.

"Azula's calling herself an Empress now," Suki informed her, "She's declared herself ruler of the entire world. And that's not even the worst of it."

"What's the worst of it?" Katara asked reluctantly, not sure if she even _wanted_ to know.

Aang expelled a harsh sigh before answering her. "She's outlawed bending."


	49. Chapter Forty Eight

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

"She's done what?" The stiff gust of wind that followed Zuko's explosion blasted his friends and rattled everything in the house that wasn't nailed down.

"Well, she hasn't outlawed all forms of it," Sokka quickly explained to his friend as if that reassurance would calm Zuko, "Just anything that's _not_ firebending."

"So comforting, Sokka," Zuko threw back darkly.

"Technically, it's not so different from the way it's always been," Katara considered, "Anything that isn't firebending has always been outlawed in one way or another. Look what happened to the Water Tribes."

"She's right," Toph agreed, "I heard rumors that there were some Earth Kingdom towns occupied by the Fire Nation where earthbending was completely forbidden. If you were caught then you were sent to prison for a long time."

"But we're not talking about just prison terms here anymore," Sokka interjected, "We're talking about _execution_. The law decree makes it clear. If you're guilty, then you're done. It's over. Azula isn't interested in taking any prisoners."

"It's as if she wants to erase all forms of bending besides firebending," Suki considered in a low tone.

"Or she wants to fix it so that either the Avatar cycle is broken forever or the Avatar is constantly reborn into the Fire Nation," Aang said. "I'm sure she'd be happy with either result."

"She can't do that," Zuko stressed, "Doesn't she understand that the elements are supposed to go together? They can't exist apart from one another. She'll destroy the balance of the world if she goes through with this!"

"I'm going to go out on a limb here…" Sokka drawled in a mocking tone, "but I'm thinking she doesn't care."

"I can't believe this is even happening," Zuko mumbled to himself incredulously. He surged to his feet and swung an anxious look around at his circle of friends. "We should do something!"

"Wait a minute," Aang interjected calmly, standing to block Zuko's path when he would have charged from the common room altogether, "Stop. We can't just go off half cocked. Zuko, you know this. We need to stick to our plan and invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun like we intended."

"But Azula's _insane_!" Zuko stressed, "She's gone too far! She can't outlaw bending and kill anyone who opposes her! She's either the most arrogant Firelord who's ever lived or she's the craziest!"

"Knowing my sister, it's a combination of both," Aang remarked dryly.

"Then you know that we can't sit in this house and hide while she runs amuck," Zuko insisted. "The world is completely at her mercy now! I can't let her do to the other nations what was done to mine! Not again!"

"It won't go that far," Aang reassured him.

Unsurprisingly, Zuko reacted to that with a disbelieving snort. Aang, being an incurable optimist, would manage to find the "bright side" in such a dire situation which was exactly the reason Zuko was inclined to dismiss his opinion. His friend had almost never failed to put a positive spin on whatever situation they happened to be facing, but Zuko wasn't so sure that Aang's outlook was always based in reality. Consequently, he was completely surprised when Sokka threw in his own murmur of agreement. Zuko gaped at him in disbelief.

"Hear me out," he soothed, "This isn't the same situation that the world was facing 100 years ago. The Air Nomads were the most spiritual of all the nations and they were _all_ benders. That's why Sozin had them all annihilated. Every single one of them was a threat."

"He's right," Aang interjected.

"And this is supposed to make me feel better how exactly?" Zuko snapped impatiently.

"There's no need to go to that extreme anymore," Sokka reasoned, "All Azula wants are the benders. So, hopefully, non-Firebenders will have the good sense to lay low for now, just like we're doing. Otherwise, they run the risk of painting a target on their backs."

"Besides, we _are_ doing something, Zuko," Katara countered firmly. "We're still making plans for the Invasion and, in the meantime, you'll train and this is probably the best place for you to do it because we have less chance of being caught. Remember that we have the advantage because Azula thinks she finished you off in Ba Sing Se. For the time being, there will be no one hunting us, so you'll have plenty of time to get stronger."

"Just think about how much faster you'll learn without the Fire Nation breathing down your neck," Sokka threw in.

"We shouldn't pass up this opportunity," Katara said, "If we're careful and precise about this, we can be sure that when we invade the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse, it will be for the last time. This war will be over."

"I agree with Sweetness for once," Toph interjected, "With bending outlawed, it would be too dangerous if we trained you somewhere else, especially while we're here in the Fire Nation. Non-Firebenders aren't the only ones being targeted here. If anyone helps or harbors them, then they'll suffer the same fate as the outlawed benders, so I don't think we'll be making too many friends. We should make the most of our situation here. You'll need to train day and night so that you're ready to face the crazy on eclipse day."

"We've come so far, Zuko," Aang told his friend, concluding all the eloquent arguments that had preceded, "We just need to be patient a little bit longer."

Zuko remained rigid for a few seconds more, before slumping forward with a defeated sigh. "I know," he mumbled, finally resuming his seat, "I know we'll have better success if we stick to the plan, but… This situation just seems to get worse and worse with each passing day. I don't want people dying while I hide."

"It doesn't have to be that bad," Aang sighed again.

The young Avatar could not share his friend's optimism, not after all he had seen and heard and done…and that was evident in his reply. "But we both know it will be."

Zuko expected it to be _worse_ than bad. The situation was already dismal enough and he was making a concentrated effort not to let it overwhelm him. In line with that, he had accepted his defeat at Ba Sing Se. He'd swallowed the reality that the world at large was under the impression he was dead…_again_. He had even mostly adjusted to having to hide out like a fugitive and live in the shadows. Yet, this latest turn of events was too hard to swallow. It was becoming increasingly clear that Azula and her supporters weren't content to have majority control of the world; they wanted to _be_ the majority. If Azula had her way there would be no nations left _besides_ the Fire Nation.

"So now what do we do?" Zuko grumbled in frustrated reservation.

"You want to learn how to shoot lightning?" Aang offered gamely.

That perked Zuko up fast. "Are you serious? I thought you said I wasn't disciplined enough."

The Firebender shrugged. "Things change."

"Aang, are you sure that's wise?" Katara cautioned, "It's storming outside." As if to emphasize her point, a sudden streak of lightning flashed outside the window followed by the trembling boom of thunder. Katara fixed Aang with an "I told you so" look.

"Actually, the fact that it's storming makes this a _perfect_ opportunity to teach Zuko," Aang stated, garnering quite a few "have you lost your mind" looks for the assertion as well. "Think about it. If we tried any other time, we might draw needless attention to ourselves. Lightning during a thunderstorm isn't going to be so out of place."

"I'm sold!" Zuko enthused, hopping to his feet, "Let's get started."

They gathered together outside in the courtyard where the rain came down in heavy, gray sheets. Without being asked, Katara took it upon herself to bend out a dry pocket around them so that they were surrounded in a watery dome. As Zuko and Aang readied themselves for training, Aang noticed that all of their friends had collected on the step leading out into the square to watch them.

"So you're just going to sit there?" he demanded self-consciously.

"I always wanted to know how you were able to do that," Sokka said.

"There's nothing better to do," Suki added.

"I'm just out here on the random chance someone gets electrocuted," Toph revealed blandly.

"Way to offer that moral support, Toph," Aang muttered to himself. He turned back to face Zuko, who stood prepared and steady. "Lightning is a pure expression of firebending," Aang explained to him. "It's without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire."

"But I've seen you do it countless times," Zuko pointed out, "and that doesn't describe you at all."

"It didn't describe my uncle either," Aang countered, "and he's the one that taught me. I think the point is that, in order to bend lightning, you have to be unfettered by emotion. You're not driven by rage or hatred or fear. You are always in control, no matter what circumstances surround you."

"Is that why you wouldn't teach me before?" Zuko asked him.

"You weren't ready then," Aang told him, "In order to perform this technique, you must have peace of mind and you didn't have that. But you've come a long way in a short time and I think you're ready now, Zuko."

"What do I do?"

"There is energy all around us," Aang began, gesturing to the sky where flickers of lightning illuminated the storm clouds overhead. "The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Not all Firebenders can separate these two energies, but you're the Avatar so I don't think that'll be a problem for you."

"Let's hope so," Zuko mumbled under his breath.

"When you separate these energies that creates an imbalance," Aang continued, demonstrating the technique as he spoke, "The energy then wants to restore balance and, in the moment when they come crashing back together, an incredible force is unleashed. You provide release for that energy, creating lightning."

In an instant, a bolt of pure electricity shot from the tips of Aang's fingers into the clouds overhead. The moment startled Katara so much that she momentarily lapsed in her bending and Aang and Zuko were doused with a heavy blanket of freezing rain. Sodden and shivering, they both threw Katara a look that clearly asked, "What was that?" They earned a sheepish shrug in response.

"Sorry," she said in chagrin. "I lost my concentration. Won't happen again."

Shaking his head in subdued amusement, Aang turned his attention back to Zuko. "Are you ready to try it?" he asked the younger boy.

"I'm ready," Zuko said. He relaxed his body and began mimicking the circular pattern that Aang had just shown him.

"Remember, once you separate the energy, don't try to control it," Aang reminded him. "You are merely its guide. Breathe deeply first."

With deep even breathing, Zuko applied the instruction he'd received. When the yin and yang within him began to separate, he could feel the pull and the charge it created as the two energies attempted to converge again. At the precise moment they came slamming back together, Zuko felt the electrical charge well up in his body.

But he was unprepared for the magnitude of coursing power that rocketed through him. He managed to channel the lightning through his body and out his fingertips, but at a rather haphazard angle. The second his friends saw that he was having trouble, they scattered to safety. In a blink, the crackling electrical current went flashing directly towards Aang. Reflexively, the Firebender absorbed the charge and redirected it towards the heavens. The gray sky above flashed with white light. When the coast was clear, one by one, their friends began ducking out from behind their hiding places.

For the most part, Zuko was oblivious to the terror he'd unleashed. "That was absolutely awesome," he breathed, shaken and exhilarated in the aftermath.

"That was absolutely _terrifying_!" Aang contradicted shrilly, "You could have killed someone! You're supposed to point _up_, Zuko. Not _out_!"

"I got it, I got it," Zuko brushed off impatiently. His eyes flashed with excitement as he regarded Aang. "You ready to try it again?"

Azula was seeing dead people.

The realization was both disconcerting and annoying. In the days following her father's death, she had been unable to sleep. Nightmares plagued her, an odd phenomenon that had never bothered Azula before. Her dreams were littered with the faces of those she had slain, but the most haunting vision was that of her own mother. For the first time in many years, Azula found herself thinking obsessively of Ursa, inundated with awful, childhood memories.

She was tortured by her mother's last night alive, beating herself up for having done nothing to change the events of that night. That, in itself, was curious because Azula had believed she'd made peace with her inaction long ago. Back then she had reasoned that she'd had very little to do with her parents' affairs. What was between them was none of her business. Besides that, it had been Ursa who had decided to make a deal with the devil. She had placed her trust in a man who was undeserving and unworthy and she'd paid the highest price for her folly. In essence, she'd help to formulate her own demise. Had Azula spoken up, she would have very likely suffered a similar fate. Really then, there had been very little that she, as an eight year old girl, could have done.

That was what Azula told herself, but lately it was becoming harder and harder to believe it. The old, nagging guilt had begun to reassert itself. She couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she had done something wrong and so it made perfect sense that Ursa's face would haunt her dreams along with her past victims. In a twisted sort of way, by her years of silence and inaction, she had become an accessory in her mother's death.

Unlike with her father, the idea that she was culpable in her mother's murder rattled Azula because, in spite of everything, she had loved Ursa and she had known that Ursa loved her in return. Their relationship had been vastly different from the one Azula shared with Ozai. While Aang had been their mother's unequivocal favorite, Ursa had never been stingy with her love and attention for her daughter. In fact, there had been a time when she was the only person to make Azula feel like she mattered at all. Azula missed that feeling and she couldn't stamp down her mad desire to know it again.

In the night, she would wake in a panic to the sinister whispers of her resurrected conscience and bathed in a cold sweat. And with wakefulness, reality always came crashing in. She was alone and she was lost and no amount of power, notoriety or fear would obliterate those truths. Consequently, sleep became elusive. Azula soon took to lying awake in bed; contemplating the crimson canopy above her while she mapped out plans to strengthen her global empire because her empire was all she had. It was on one of those restless occasions that Azula first saw the specter of her father.

Her glimpse of him had been so swift, just a flash of his figure near her dressing screen, that she had been quick to dismiss it as a hallucination brought on by lack of sleep. But, in the coming days, he began to appear to her with alarming frequency. Visions of Mai soon followed, accompanied by the nameless faces of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe citizens whose lives she'd taken. Sometimes their appearance would be altogether brief and they would be gone in a blink and other times…they would linger. Azula half hoped her mother would put in an appearance as well, if for no reason than to have the comfort seeing her again would bring, but Ursa never came to her.

Instead, it was her enemies that surrounded her day in and day out, waiting and sneering and laughing behind their hands. Even at that precise moment Azula found herself under Mai's intense scrutiny. The knife wielder watched her silently from across the throne room while Azula conducted business with her Fire Sages. However, Azula betrayed none of her apprehension or discomfort over the dead girl's presence as she tried to listen to the Sages' concerns.

"Your imperial majesty," the foremost Sage began reverently, "for your safety and the safety of those here in the Palace City, we urge you to give the order to evacuate immediately."

Azula scoffed, regarding them derisively through the blue flames surrounding her throne despite the dire edict they had just given her. "Do you seriously expect me to abandon my home because of a few tremors?"

"These are more than tremors, majesty," the sage insisted, "We have seen the signs. The volcano is beginning to awaken. You must evacuate the city or the results will be cataclysmic. None of us will survive if we are here when it erupts."

"Surely you know how ridiculous this sounds?" Azula snorted impatiently, "This mountain has been dormant for more than 300 hundred years. The Palace City was formed in the mountain crater. The volcano is all but dead! We have had quakes and tremors in the past and nothing has ever come of them. Why would you assume this time is any different?"

"We have received visions…terrible portents full of fire and ghastly death," the chief sage pressed.

"Well, if we're talking about visions…" Azula drawled rather sardonically.

"We must take this seriously!" the sage insisted.

"I will hear no more of it. This conversation is done. I'll take what you've said under advisement," his Empress decided with a dismissive wave of her hand. The Sages gaped at her, unable to believe her nonchalant response. But when they tried to further stress the importance of their warning, their Empress interrupted coldly, "I said I will take it under advisement! You are dismissed." Obediently, the Fire Sages shuffled out of the throne room, visibly distraught.

"Way to endear yourself to the masses," Mai remarked dryly from her lounging pose near the exit.

Azula fixed the phantom with a narrowed glare, careful to conceal her shock at hearing the apparition speak. It was the first time and she couldn't deny that she was shaken, even if she didn't show it. "So you can talk after all," she spat tersely, "I was beginning to think standing and staring were your favorite pastimes."

"Hey, this is _your_ head trip," Mai retorted, "I do what you want me to do."

"In that case, leave me now!" Azula closed her eyes and when she opened them again, Mai had vanished. She growled under her breath, both relieved and annoyed. "If only I had known it was that simple before…"

"Majesty?"

Azula turned a glacial glance in the direction of the trembling voice, belatedly realizing that her attendants had been present for the entirety of her brief one-sided conversation. "What is it?" she snapped harshly, not betraying even an ounce of the humiliated embarrassment she felt.

"H-Have I displeased you somehow?" the servant asked in a quaking tone, head dutifully bowed, "I was under the impression you wanted me to be silent."

"Then why are you speaking to me now?" Azula grated. She raked the scattered servants before her with a baleful glower. "Get from my sight! All of you! I wish to be alone."

Yet, it was when all of her servants had scurried from the room dutifully that Azula realized "being alone" was the problem. She was inarguably the most powerful ruler in the history of the world. There was not a single corner of land that did not fall under Fire Nation jurisdiction. She was venerated by thousands and knew no masters or threats and yet… All of her accomplishment and glory seemed to matter little when she contemplated enjoying it alone. There were no friends or family to wish her well. The praise she did receive was from people who knew better than to criticize her and so, from Azula's perspective, their adulation was empty and meaningless.

"No wonder I'm seeing things," Azula grumbled.

Disgusted with herself and the self-pity pervading her, Azula hopped up from her throne and strode down from the dais. She didn't have any particular destination in mind when she left the throne room and began walking, but when she finally found herself at the entrance of the prison hold, Azula wasn't surprised. After entering, she dismissed the two Firebenders standing guard and quietly approached Ty Lee's cell, which was positioned in a special corner of the hold where very little light filtered inside and the rats and night-crawlers gathered.

Her old friend sat curled in a fetid ball in the center of her cell. Ty Lee's head was bent forward and, as a result, her hair, which was matted and tangled, fell across her face and pooled in her lap in a greasy pile. Her clothing, which was standard prison issue, was tattered, soiled and ill-fitting. Her feet were bare and dirty as were all visible parts of her body. The picture she presented was a stark contrast to the bubbly girl who had been Azula's childhood companion.

Though Ty Lee gave no indication of acknowledging Azula's presence, the Empress knew that her old friend was very aware of her. She waited patiently for Ty Lee to acknowledge that fact. The acrobat did not keep her waiting long.

"What do you want, Azula?" Ty Lee finally asked.

"You sound so defeated, Ty Lee," Azula tsked in false commiseration, "It's unlike you."

"Why are you here?" Ty Lee reiterated tiredly.

"Can't a girl visit old friends? We haven't talked since returning to the Fire Nation." Ty Lee regarded her with a woeful look at the observation and Azula huffed. "I'd expect more of a show of gratitude after I spared your life."

"I'm sorry, Azula," Ty Lee replied, but the response sounded rote and mechanical. "What brings you by?"

"I have good news," Azula told her. "The _best_ news, so a little enthusiasm on your part would be splendid."

"What's your news?" Ty Lee asked with forced brightness.

"I'm an empress now," Azula revealed triumphantly. "You are now looking at the ruler of the entire world! And I did it all alone and with backstabbers surrounding me." She crowed a laugh. "You may congratulate me now."

"What does your father say about all this?" Ty Lee wondered in a careful tone, struggling inwardly with her feelings of guilt, remorse, anger and pity.

"The Firelord is dead," Azula informed her, as if the news were little more than an afterthought.

For the first time since her arrival, Ty Lee looked at Azula squarely, her eyes flaring wide with sympathy and surprise. "Oh Azula, I'm so sorry!" she rushed out in automatic response, "I didn't know. Are you okay?" However, before her heart could soften completely towards Azula, Ty Lee noticed the cold, emotionless luster to her former friend's eyes. "But you're not sorry," she surmised as understanding dawned, "Are you?"

Azula shrugged. "There was no love lost between my father and me. Besides, you know he's had this coming for a while."

"You mean like Mai had it coming?"

The corners of Azula's mouth turned up in a cruel smirk at Ty Lee's veiled scorn. "So you still haven't gotten over that, have you, Ty Lee?"

"How can _you_ get over it?" Ty Lee cried, "Mai was your friend! We've known her since we were kids! How can you sleep knowing—,"

"Mai betrayed me!" Azula snapped, "She brought it on herself!"

"What about me?" Ty Lee flung back, "I betrayed you too, Azula!" Her angry bravado quickly dissolved into noisy sobs. "Why am I alive when she isn't?" she wept brokenly.

Azula crouched down low so that she and Ty Lee were at eye level when she whispered coldly, "Because it causes you pain. I want you to know that every day you're alive in here, Mai isn't because _you_ helped her escape. I hope you choke on the guilt."

Ty Lee's tears died into an abrupt hiccup. She surveyed Azula with brown eyes full of hurt and disappointment. "I don't feel guilty, Azula," she whispered, "I did the right thing helping Mai that day. I would do it again. I feel sorry…_for_ _you_. You're always going to be alone and you have no one to blame for that but yourself!"

Infuriated that her desire to feel better had ended in dismal failure, Azula surged upright, turned on her heel and stormed from the prison hold without another word. A few seconds later when she burst out into the night air and was taking great, gulping breaths in an attempt to soothe her frayed nerves, Mai appeared to her. The apparition regarded the harried Empress with scornful eyes.

"Now what are you going to do?" she demanded as Azula started to stride past her, "Ty Lee is probably the only person in the world willing to overlook your cruel streak and stick with you and you've driven her away too!" Azula whipped to face her nemesis, hands clenched into trembling fists. "You're just like your father," Mai accused her in a brutal whisper.

That single accusation drove Azula to the brink. She stormed Mai with a rapid assault of blue flames, striking out at her in a fury so unbridled her hair came unbound and the royal artifact slipped from her head. It clattered to the cobbles and was trampled underneath Azula's feet as she unleashed.

"Empress Azula?"

The shuddering address had Azula whirling about in a blind rage. She almost killed the hapless guard in her ire, but pulled back her flames at the last second. The guard emitted a high pitched squeak, well aware of how close he'd just come to death. Azula spared him only a brief glance before turning her attention back to Mai. However, when she pivoted about again fully expecting to find Mai's charred remains, the specter was gone. Frustrated, Azula turned to survey the guard with a dark look.

Ignoring the guard's petrified mewling, Azula demanded, "Did you see a girl here just now?"

The Firebender gulped and shook his head. "Only you, majesty," he confessed, tacitly revealing that he had seen every moment of her meltdown. "Are you unwell?" he squeaked.

"I am perfectly fine," Azula replied with a sinister calm.

"Yes, majesty."

"You saw nothing!" she declared implacably, "If I hear this incident repeated anywhere, I will know who told it and I will come find you. Do you understand me?" The guard nodded vigorously, trembling uncontrollably under her frosty stare. Satisfied that he would keep silent, Azula relaxed. "Good. Now do something useful and have the Dai Li sent to me immediately."

As she was on her way to her bedchamber, Azula was intercepted by the elite earthbending force. After the fall of Ba Sing Se, she had left a select number of agents in the city to oversee matters in her stead and enforce Fire Nation law. Those that had been left over she had brought home with her to serve in the capacity of royal body guards. So far, they had proven themselves invaluable to her.

"How may we serve you, Empress?" the Dai Li head requested deferentially.

"I have a task for you," Azula told him. "There is a house on Ember Island about a three days journey from here. It belongs to my family. Take two Firebenders and go there. About three hundred feet from the house you will find a small copse of trees. At the base of the largest tree, buried below ground, is a medium sized chest. I want you to bring me that chest. Once you have retrieved it, burn the house to the ground."

As she gave the orders, Azula felt as if she were eight years old again, crouched low in the secret compartment behind her parents' dressing screen. She had winded her way through the secret tunnels shortly after her mother had come to her to say goodbye. When Ursa came knocking on Ozai's door a short while later, Azula was already safely ensconced in her hiding place. Consequently, she had been present for the duration of her parents' argument, as well as the gruesome events that had followed it. Afterwards, Azula had listened to her father rattle off shaken instructions to a trusted servant…a servant who would later disappear.

Unaware of his Empress' dark thoughts, the Dai Li agent breathed out in surprise, "You want us to burn the house down?"

Azula inclined her head in a regal nod. "It's worthless to me. The time I spent there as a child was built on lies."

"And the things inside, Empress…mementos, family heirlooms…you want none of those things?"

"That trunk is the most precious thing there is," Azula told him, "The rest of it means nothing."

As she started to turn away, the agent found himself asking before he could stop himself, "May I know what precious item is inside the chest, your majesty?"

"Yes, you may know," she granted, surprising the agent with her magnanimous response. She fixed him with fathomless, amber-colored eyes and revealed grimly, "My mother."

If she was going to see and speak to dead people, Azula considered as she slipped inside her bedchamber, then she'd certainly do so with the people of her own choosing.

"Aang, wake up!"

Grunting at having his sound sleep disturbed, Aang cracked open one eye and found Toph hovering mere inches above his face. Four days of nonstop training with Zuko and every muscle in his body ached. He was in no mood to have his precious sleep disturbed. "What?" he demanded grumpily.

"There's someone in the house!"

At her whispered revelation, Aang came instantly awake. He swung upright in bed. "Are you sure?"

"Well, they're not in the house _yet_, but they're outside poking around," she clarified.

"How do you know?"

"I can feel their vibrations. I know two of them are Firebenders but there's another one and… I can't be sure, but I think he's an Earthbender. Something about the way he moves reminds me of the Dai Li."

"The Dai Li?" Aang frowned at the implications, remembering how the Dai Li had willfully betrayed their own nation to side with Azula during the battle of Ba Sing Se. He pitched himself from the bed, his sudden movements startling Momo from sleep. The drowsy lemur watched in fascination as his agitated master zipped from one corner of the bedchamber to another, haphazardly throwing on his clothes and gathering up his scattered belongings.

"Take Momo and wake the others! Tell them to get on Appa now!" Aang ordered Toph, "I can only think of one reason why the Dai Li would be here on Ember Island. Azula must have sent them."

Toph sucked in a panicked breath. "Do you think she knows we're here?"

"No," Aang answered quickly, "Otherwise, they'd be all over us. But it won't matter much if we stick around!"

Five minutes later, he and Toph had managed to quietly herd the sleepy group onto Appa's back. As Sokka climbed onto Appa's head in preparation to get them out of there, Aang crept to the edge of the house, peering around the corner to see what the Dai Li agent might be up to. The Earthbender hovered near a small clearing of trees on the other side of the property. From Aang's vantage point, it looked as if he was trying to bend something free from the ground, but Aang couldn't be sure.

"What is he doing?" he muttered to himself.

"Probably trying to get that box out of the ground," Toph whispered from behind, "It's buried over near those trees."

She startled him so badly Aang practically jumped a foot in the air. "What box?" he demanded crossly, "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

Toph shrugged. "What was I supposed to say?" she griped, "'Hey Aang, why is there a box buried in your backyard?' Excuse me if I try not to dig too deeply into your family's weirdness!"

"Hey, you guys!" Zuko hissed at them impatiently from Appa's saddle, "You want to get a move on? We're supposed to be escaping, remember?"

Mere seconds after Aang and Toph scrambled up onto Appa and the group went airborne under the blanket of night, the Firebenders entered the house. Katara and Zuko worked together to create a foggy mist around Appa so that they could escape without being detected. They blended in well with the wispy clouds sprawled across the night sky.

Aang leaned over the edge of Appa's saddle and squinted down at the retreating beach house through the cloudy canopy, his eyes flaring wide when he saw red-orange flames spring up on the roof and the interior of the house. Within a few seconds, almost the entire house was engulfed. Aang swallowed sorrowfully, watching as all his happy childhood memories were reduced to ash.

"What was that about?" Suki wondered, leaning over the saddle alongside him as the house faded from view, "Why would they sneak into the house in the middle of the night just to burn it down?"

"Yeah, that was pretty random, wasn't it?" Toph considered.

"What do you think Azula was after?" Katara wondered.

"Who knows?" Aang sighed, settling himself down, "I stopped understanding Azula's motivations years ago."

"Now where are we supposed to go?" Suki asked, "We're in the heart of the Fire Nation. It's not exactly the land of hospitality."

"I'm more worried about where we're going to sleep," Toph complained. She flopped back into the saddle with a disheartened grunt. "I was just getting used to having a bed again."

"Having a bed is the least of our problems," Zuko grumbled as he and Katara continued to bend out the cloudy mist, "Now we're back at square one. Not only are we going to have to keep an extremely low profile if we plan to keep up this charade that I'm dead, but we're also going to have to be extra careful with our bending now. If we don't want the Fire Nation on our backs, we can't do it in public anymore."

Toph popped up her head. "What? No bending?" she whined, "That blows! No pun intended, Zuko."

"You're telling me," Zuko agreed moodily, "How exactly am I supposed to train under these circumstances?"

"Zuko, I completely understand your need to freak out, but can we think of a plan B tomorrow?" Toph yawned as she curled up with Momo at the front of the saddle, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm beat."

"It'll be okay," Katara reassured him. "We'll figure something out. Let's just find some place to bed down for the night and then we'll come up with a new plan in the morning when our minds are fresh." Unfortunately, Katara was hardly able to relax in the wake of Zuko's terse nod of agreement because she couldn't help but notice that Aang still staring forlornly into the horizon. She wished devoutly that she could go to him in that moment, but, since she was unable, satisfied her need to comfort him by asking if he was okay.

Aang shifted around to face Katara with a billowing sigh. "I just wonder what they were looking for, that's all." He glanced over at Toph. "Do you know what was in that chest?"

Without opening her eyes, Toph lifted her shoulders in a sleepy shrug. "I dunno…it was weird. I could sense the trunk was there and that it was buried deep, but I could never figure out what was inside it…almost as if vibrations couldn't pass through it at all."

"Well, I'd say something important if they were willing to burn down the house to cover up what they were doing," Suki considered. "Either way, it's probably a good thing we got out of there when we did. The chances are that whatever was in that box wasn't anything good anyway."

"Yeah," Aang agreed with another heavy sigh, "you're probably right."


	50. Chapter Forty Nine

**Chapter Forty-Nine**

"Aah, the great outdoors!" Toph heaved expansively, "How I have _not_ missed you!"

Following Toph's dreary declaration, Aang came traipsing out from the cluster of trees beyond them where he had disappeared ten minutes earlier. He brushed away the dead leaves and twigs that clung to his shoulders. "This looks like as good a spot as any to bed down for the night," he said, "It seems pretty remote."

"I kinda already told you that _before_ you went on your little expedition," Toph pointed out dryly.

"Doesn't hurt to double-check," Aang replied.

Toph grunted at the response, a little offended that he'd felt the need to "double-check" at all. "Yeah, whatever."

Hoping to avert disaster because he recognized that they were all pretty sleep deprived after flying for nearly four straight hours, Sokka said, "We should set up camp and get some shut eye."

As he, Katara and Suki began working to unload the few bundles they'd managed to get onto Appa; Toph erected a sturdy earth tent and disappeared inside with a grumbled declaration that it was "too late for manual labor." Katara shot her a displeased look. "You know, we're _all_ tired, Toph," she emphasized pointedly.

"So go to bed!" Toph retorted, "I'm not stopping you!"

"Everyone does their fair share, Toph," Katara declared, "and the only one who isn't pulling their share tonight is you!"

"Hey, if you want to spend all night unloading Appa and making camp, knock yourself out," Toph flung back, "We're not even going to be in this spot an entire day and I've had about an hour and a half of sleep! The world won't grind to a halt if I don't help you unload Sokka's funky sleeping bag!"

"You're just being lazy!" Katara accused.

"Come on, you guys, we're all tired and cranky," Aang interjected reasonably, "It's been a long night. There's no need to be snapping each other's heads off."

"Who asked you?" Toph flared, "Mind your own business, Lotus Blossom!"

"Hey! Don't you yell at him!" Katara fired back.

"Katara, it not's a big de—,"

"Stay out of this, Aang!" Katara cut him off sharply, "This is between me and Toph!"

Her sudden, violent flare-up had him retreating back a step. "Um…well, okay then," he replied slowly.

"Just walk away, buddy," Sokka advised in an aside as he passed by with an armful, "Don't make eye contact. Don't try to make it better. Don't get in the middle. Walk away."

Wisely heeding his friend's advice, Aang left Toph and Katara to their bickering and concentrated on helping Sokka and Suki set up the campsite. He had just finished starting the campfire when he noticed Zuko standing on the edge of their camp. He was leaned against a tree and obviously brooding. Aang immediately crossed the distance separating them. "This is just a minor setback," he said as he fell into step beside his reticent friend, "It's going to be okay."

The reassurance didn't go far in the way of comforting Zuko. In fact, he snorted scornfully. "Oh please, Aang, spare me the eternal optimism for one night," he groaned, "This is bad and you know it."

"Okay, I'll admit the situation isn't the best," Aang conceded, "but I have an idea."

"Great. Another idea," Zuko rallied without much zeal.

"I know what you're thinking," Aang prefaced, "You want me to shush up and I get that, but this isn't a hopeless situation."

"It never is with you," Zuko deadpanned.

"What if I told you that I know someplace we can go and that we'll be safe there for a while?" Aang insisted.

"Yeah, because it worked out so great with the last place you suggested!" Toph wisecracked from behind them.

"Wasn't it you who told me to mind my own business a few minutes ago?" Aang retorted irritably.

"Well, I want to hear your idea, Aang," Katara interjected in a gentle tone as a way of apologizing to him for biting his head off earlier.

A few seconds later, she, Suki and Sokka gathered around him and Zuko in a semi-circle. "So what's this place you have in mind?" Sokka asked, "We're all ears."

"Not me," Toph grumped. "I'm going to bed."

After she had shut herself up in her earthen tent, Aang told the group his idea. "There's a sword master who lives not too far from here," he began, "His name is Piandao. After I escaped from prison, he was the one who took me in when the Royal Firebenders were hunting for me. He risked his life to help me. He was the one who gave me food and money for the journey to Ba Sing Se. He's very loyal to my uncle and he lives in a sprawling, secluded compound, which would give Zuko the perfect place to train. If we go to him, I know he'll help us."

"You said the same thing about the beach house!" Toph commented from inside her tent, "And look how well that turned out!"

"As obnoxious as she is, Toph has a point," Zuko said, "If we go to this man, will we be safe from Azula?"

"She won't even know we're there," Aang replied.

"But won't we be imposing?" Suki wondered cautiously, "I mean if six teenagers, a lemur and a ten ton bison showed up on _my_ doorstep looking for a handout, I'd be a little irritated."

"He'll help us," Aang insisted firmly, "Trust me."

"Then let's do it," Katara concurred, "Let's go to this Piandao. He's probably the best option we have."

"So we're agreed?" Aang asked, flashing a glance around at the circle of faces surrounding him. He was answered with unanimous nods. "Good," he said, "We should get some sleep then. We've got a lot of miles ahead of us."

They had only just finished stretching out in preparation for bed when suddenly the entrance of Toph's rock tent slid open. She poked her head through. "Do you guys hear that?" she demanded anxiously.

"Hear what?" Zuko grumped, eyes closed.

"Shh…" Toph admonished sharply, "Listen!" Dutifully and in various positions of alertness, they listened. Leaves rustled. Crickets chirped. The fire crackled. "See!" Toph hissed a moment later, "I heard it again."

"Toph, I don't hear anything," Zuko sighed impatiently.

"There it is again!" Toph insisted.

"Oh come on, Toph!" Sokka grumbled, "It wasn't even that loud! It's a perfectly natural bodily function! Do you have to bring it to everyone's attention?"

Grimacing, Aang pinched his nose reflexively. "Ugh, so you mean it was silent and deadly?"

"Ew, Sokka!" his sister balked.

Suki scooted her sleeping bag a few feet away, shaking her head at Sokka in mild disgust. "That's just wrong. I was lying right next to you!"

"Would you rather I hold it in?" he cried defensively, "That stuff can kill you!"

"Aren't we supposed to be _sleeping_ right now?" Zuko stressed irritably. He growled his frustration, throwing his forearm over his eyes. "It's always drama with you people!"

"Blame Toph!" Sokka retorted, "She's the one advertising people's _personal_ _business_!"

"I wasn't talking about you, oh Gassy One!" Toph snorted as she placed her hand flat against the ground so that she could listen closely to the vibrations. "I think…" she began, her brow furrowed in concentration, "I think I can hear people screaming."

That chilling declaration was promptly followed by shrieks of pure terror as an old woman suddenly materialized from the cluster of trees surrounding them. Trembling violently, the teenagers scrambled together and huddled in reflexive horror with Momo squeezed in the middle. "You children shouldn't be camping out here in the middle of the forest," the old woman told them, "This can be a very dangerous place at night." Her kindly suggestion didn't reassure them in the slightest. Despite her gentle tone, she was still partially cloaked in the shadows which created an unintentional, though undeniable, malevolence to her presence.

The group stared at her, shaking and wide-eyed. They didn't dare answer her and wouldn't have even if they could regain their power of speech. Undeterred, the woman finally stepped closer into the firelight, illuminating her craggy features and small, stooped body. She hardly appeared to be a threat, but that fact didn't relax their guards even a minimal degree. In fact, they tensed further, especially when her eyes came to rest on Zuko.

She sucked in a small gasp of surprise as she beheld him. "Are those Airbender tattoos?" she asked aloud, "Are you the Avatar, child?"

Toph was the first to compose herself and, therefore, was quick with a cover. "Nope," she lied baldly, "He's just a fan of arrows."

"And the sky bison out in the woods?" the old woman pressed knowingly.

"And rare bison," Toph tacked on, straight-faced.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Avatar," the woman reassured them, "I well know the dangers you face here in the Fire Nation, especially with the new laws. Like you, I am guarding my identity as well. My name is Hama and I'm not a native here either."

"You're not?" Katara asked, her interest instantly piqued, "Where are you from?"

"Are you from the Earth Kingdom?" Toph followed up.

"My home is very, very far away from this place," Hama confided with a touch of nostalgia, "At the very tip of the world. I hail from the South Pole, the Southern Water Tribe to be exact. But I haven't been back home in many, many years, not since I was a girl."

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara burst out excitedly, fear forgotten. She gestured between herself and her brother. "That's where we're from! How did you come to be so far from there?"

"It's a long story, little one," Hama said, "I'll be happy to tell it to you. I have an inn not too far from here. Perhaps, I can interest you children in a warm bed and hot tea?"

"Did you say a warm bed?" Toph echoed dreamily, "You're on."

Half an hour later they found themselves cozily ensconced before the fire in the common room of Hama's inn. Though the tea was warm and comforting, especially after the night they'd endured, none in the group could even keep awake long enough to drink it. Hama watched with affectionate amusement as they struggled to keep from toppling over in exhaustion. Sokka and Aang nodded off completely, their heads and shoulders pressed together, teacups hanging limply from their fingers.

"Let me take you to your rooms," she offered, "You're obviously very tired."

"But you were going to tell us how you ended up so far from home," Katara reminded her.

"It's a sad tale," Hama replied, "You don't want to hear it."

"Is it too painful to talk about?" Suki wondered.

"Very painful," Hama acknowledged, "You see, I was stolen from my village, taken in a Fire Nation raid."

"You mean you're a Waterbender?" Katara exclaimed in surprise. Smiling at her enthusiasm, Hama gladly demonstrated her bending skills on the tea, swirling it about the children's heads in a liquid dance before gracefully returning the brew to the pot. "That was amazing!" Katara breathed, fascinated, "I've never met another Southern Waterbender before!"

"You mean you're a Waterbender as well?" Hama asked in a trembling tone, "My goodness. I…I always believed I was the last one left."

"So did I," Katara replied emotionally, "It seems like we were both wrong."

"Well," Hama grunted, blinking back the tears that formed in her eyes, "I suppose I've kept you children up long enough." She pushed to her feet. "Come. Let us wake the others and I will show you to your rooms."

As the others got up to follow Hama up the steps, Zuko lagged behind, snagging hold of Katara's elbow when she would have gone with the group. She regarded him with a curious look. "What is it, Zuko?"

"I know you feel a kinship with this woman, Katara," he began carefully, "and I understand why, but don't give her your trust too easily. There's something about her that makes me feel weird."

"Zuko, she's a harmless old woman," Katara argued, "And she's shown us nothing but kindness!"

"Like I said, I understand what you're feeling," Zuko reiterated, "Just promise me you'll be careful."

Given his feelings of unease, Zuko opted to sleep in the stables with Appa while his friends took two rooms upstairs. It was decided that Toph, Suki and Katara would share one room while Aang and Sokka would share the other. Suki and Sokka were in the middle of bidding each other an amorous goodnight while Toph growled and buried her head beneath a pillow over the display when Aang came to say goodnight to Katara.

"It's been a crazy few hours, huh?" he said as Katara moved to greet him at the bedroom entrance. "I'd say goodnight, but it's going to be morning soon, I think."

"Yeah, it is." They regarded each other with shy smiles, suddenly and inexplicably awkward with one another. Katara absently twirled a strand of her hair. "Aang, about earlier tonight," she began in sheepish recollection, "I'm sorry for taking your head off…especially because of what happened earlier with the house on Ember Island. You know I didn't mean it."

He shrugged, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Besides, I'm used to it," he said, "I know how mean you can get when you're sleep deprived."

"I was not mean," she denied weakly before she conceded, "Maybe I was a little bit cranky…"

"Oh, you were soo mean," Aang contradicted, laughing, "_And_ cranky."

Katara sputtered in response. "Well, if you feel that way…I guess you're not interested in getting a kiss goodnight then, huh?" she teased airily.

Aang grinned at her. "Now I didn't say that…" His lips had made only a few, grazing passes across Katara's when Hama made her approach. The young lovers parted awkwardly and turned to regard Hama with self-conscious smiles.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Hama apologized graciously with a fond smile, "I only came up to make sure you children didn't need anything further."

"No, we're good. Thank you," Katara whispered.

"Thank you, Hama," Sokka, Suki and Toph chorused from behind.

"It's my pleasure," Hama replied. "Sleep well, children."

Katara watched with a lingering smile as Hama disappeared down the corridor into her bedroom. "She reminds me a little of my Gran-Gran," she confided to Aang.

He made the mental comparison, well remembering how gruff and taciturn Katara's grandmother had been in contrast to how warm and gentle Hama seemed. "Yeah…I don't see the resemblance," Aang told her.

His dubious tone provoked a giggle from Katara, which ended too quickly and was replaced by a pensive frown. "Zuko thinks she's creepy."

"Is that what he said?" Aang half balked, half laughed.

"Well, not in so many words," Katara mumbled sheepishly, "but the sentiment was there."

"Zuko thinks that everyone is creepy."

"So you don't agree with him? You think she's okay?" Katara asked Aang. For some inexplicable reason, she needed Aang to approve of Hama, especially in light of Zuko's feelings. Perhaps because, even while she knew very little of Hama, Katara was growing very quickly attached to the sweet, old woman.

"I like her." His pronouncement brought with it Katara's sigh of relief. "She's been kind and open with us," Aang considered, "I don't see what the problem is."

"That's what I thought," Katara muttered to herself, "That Zuko."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Aang offered.

She shook her head. "No. He's entitled to his feelings," Katara considered pragmatically, "I don't want to make him feel like he's wrong." Without warning, she threw her arms around Aang's neck and pressed a sound kiss to his lips. "Thank you for offering though."

"You're welcome," he murmured in return. He would have gladly stood in the narrow hallway holding her in his arms for the rest of the night and it was that very realization that prompted Aang to pull away. She felt so good pressed against him that he knew it would probably be a wise choice if he said goodnight right then and so he did.

Katara kissed him again, ignoring her brother's sputtering protests, this time soft and lingering and loving. "Goodnight, Aang." They parted reluctantly a few seconds later, completely unaware that their private exchange had been observed by more than their three groaning friends.

The next morning the six teens stumbled into the dining room to find Hama and a huge spread of food waiting for them. "I know you said it was your intention to move on this morning," she said as they took their seats around the table, "but I was so hoping you'd stay awhile."

Sokka eyed the mouthwatering smorgasbord set before him. "Do you cook like this often?" he asked.

"Only when I have special visitors such as you children," Hama replied with a disarming smile.

"In that case, we can definitely stay a few more days," Sokka decided.

Zuko was adamantly opposed to the idea, but his friends seemed so excited that he refrained from saying anything about it. Something about the old woman was off. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. On the surface, she seemed kind and friendly. She had opened her home to a group of strange teenagers and had shown them nothing, but hospitality. Yet, in spite of that, Zuko continued to be unnerved. Consequently, while his friends took to Hama like a beloved grandmother, Zuko maintained his guard.

"I'm sorry if the food is a bit cold," Hama apologized as they began to dig in, "I was done making it an hour ago, but you were still asleep and I was reluctant to wake you."

"We don't usually sleep so late," Toph reassured her.

"Well, you did seem exhausted," Hama said.

"We had an exhausting night," Katara replied vaguely.

"No doubt that was the Fire Nation's doing," Hama determined, receiving several sharpened glances over the intuitive remark. She calmly took a bite of food before speaking again. "It's not very hard to figure out you children are on the run," she said, "You're traveling with the Avatar and the rumor is that he's dead. The Fire Nation will stop at nothing to maintain their tyrannical rule. I know very well how cruel they can be. I want to help you…keep you safe for as long as you are with me."

"Even if keeping us here means putting yourself in danger?" Suki wondered.

Hama smiled at her. "Even then. It's the right thing to do."

"Thank you, Hama," Katara whispered, "That means a lot to us."

"Good," Hama said. "Now we'll have no more of this unpleasant talk. Let's enjoy breakfast." As she started to bend tea into their empty cups, however, Hama realized that the liquid had grown tepid. She stood and reached for the pot. "I'm going to reheat this."

"That's not necessary," Aang said, reaching across the table to cradle the tea pot in his hands and warm the liquid via his firebending. He glanced at Hama, who regarded him with a stricken expression. Unaware of her unease, Aang flashed her a wide grin. "Saves you a trip to the kitchen."

"You're a Firebender?" she observed, her brows snapping together in surprise.

"Yes," Zuko confirmed almost in challenge, "Aang's been traveling with us since the beginning. He's a good friend."

Hama's craggy features crinkled even more with her answering smile. She lowered her eyes, hoping to conceal the malevolent hatred leaping in their depths. "Well, if he's a friend of yours, then he's a friend of mine," she announced, resuming her seat, "Let's eat."

Later on that afternoon, the group focused their attention on devising appropriate disguises for Zuko. There were lengthy discussions about hats, which Aang insisted weren't at all fashionable in the Fire Nation, and headbands, which would only do a partial job of concealing the giant arrow on Zuko's head. Sokka even suggested that Zuko re-grow is hair, which was absolutely out of the question as far as the young Avatar was concerned. No one could seem to agree on anything except the fact the tattoos needed to be covered.

Now that Zuko had them, he would be all the more visible when they were out in public. They had the advantage for now because the Fire Nation believed he was dead and, therefore, most of the wanted posters concerning him had been torn down. They still had to contend with the wanted posters for Aang, but now that he was missing his scar and his hair, it was less likely anyone would recognize him. Making Zuko unrecognizable, however, proved to be a more difficult task. The present priority for the group was finding a way to conceal Zuko's tattoos, but that simple task was made complicated because _everyone_ had an opinion on how it should be done.

When Hama stepped into the stables to announce that lunch was ready, they were already on round three of the "discussion." However, with the mention of food, the argument was forgotten. As the others took off for the house, Hama and Katara fell into step with one another.

"I want to thank you again for opening up your home to us," Katara said graciously, "You've made us feel very welcome and safe."

"It's been a delight for me, little one," Hama replied, "But if you really want to thank me, Katara, why don't you allow this old Waterbender to show you a few of her tricks?"

"You would teach me?" Katara breathed in surprise.

"It would be an honor," Hama told her sincerely.

After lunch, she took Katara out to a secluded part of the forest just beyond the town's border. They seemed to walk on for miles, but the time flew by for Katara because she found herself growing increasingly fascinated with Hama. She soaked up Hama's words like a sponge, listening intently as the older Waterbender entertained her with stories of growing up in the Southern WaterTribe. Before Katara realized it, they were situated in a lush green pasture, full of blooming fire lilies and surrounded by the mountain chain which loomed in the distance. It was then that Hama commenced with the lessons.

"Growing up at the South Pole, Waterbenders are naturally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas," she began, "But, as I'm sure you've learned during your travels, it's not like that everywhere you go." Hama gestured to the greenery encircling them, pretty and fragrant, but without a water source in sight. "You have to learn to control water wherever it exists," she told Katara.

"I don't understand what you mean," Katara murmured.

Hama regarded her with a secret smile. "Did you know that you can pull water out of thin air?" she asked. She weaved her hand through the space between them, collecting the humid moisture on the tips of her fingers. Katara gasped. "You have to keep an open mind," Hama said, crystallizing the water on her fingers into icy shards and flinging them into the trunk of a nearby tree with deadly accuracy, "There's water in places you never even think about, Katara."

"That was amazing," Katara praised breathlessly, "How did you learn all these things?"

"Back home, I had a very skilled master," Hama explained, "She taught me very well. After I was captured, I had to hone the skills she'd given me on my own. Who taught you?"

"A waterbending master from the Northern Water Tribe by the name of Pakku," Katara said, "I had to travel there so I could learn from him."

"I wasn't aware that the Northern Water Tribe trained female Waterbenders," Hama considered.

"He made the exception for me."

"Then you must be an _exceptional_ Waterbender," Hama concluded with an air of pride. But then, she frowned suddenly. "Bah…the Northern Water style…there's nothing _wrong_ with it, but it's not our tradition," Hama replied, "You should learn the waterbending style of your heritage, Katara. You and I are the only ones who can carry on the tradition and I won't be around much longer."

"I want to learn," Katara said eagerly.

"And I will gladly teach you what I know," Hama whispered, "Why don't you try mimicking the move I showed you earlier?" While Katara attempted to gather together the droplets of moisture from the air, Hama asked almost casually, "So tell me, was Aang with you when you traveled to the North Pole?"

"No," Katara replied, half distracted, "Unfortunately, we were separated for a while."

"I'm surprised your parents are comfortable with the idea of you traveling alone with a Firebender," Hama remarked.

That statement caught Katara's full attention and, for the moment, waterbending was forgotten. "My mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid," she explained to Hama, "And my father… Well, he's met Aang and he approves of him."

"Hmm," Hama replied, as if dismissing the conversation entirely. "Come over here," she told Katara, "I have something else I want to show you."

She led Katara further into the field so that they stood in the very center of a large bed of fire lilies. "These flowers are so beautiful," Katara remarked softly, "I love them. Aang told me that they only bloom here a few weeks out of the year."

"Yes," Hama confirmed, "They are one of my favorite things about living here. And, like all living things, they are filled with water." She did a graceful spin, sweeping out her hand as she did the turn so that she could draw the water from the lilies as she did. The move left them dark and shriveled. Before Katara had even assimilated what she'd done, Hama flung the gathered water out in a bladed slice, splitting a nearby rock cleanly in two. She turned to face Katara with a stern look. "You must learn to use your environment to your advantage, Katara."

Katara nodded. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," she said, but when she stared down at the barren flowers that had once been a beautiful, vibrant red, she frowned. "It's a shame about the lilies though."

"They're just flowers," Hama dismissed, "They'll grow back. I have one more technique I would like to teach you, but it will have to wait until tonight."

"Why is that?" Katara wondered as they started back towards town.

"It can only be done during the full moon when your bending is at its peak."

"There's so much I don't know," Katara mumbled, suddenly feeling very inexperienced despite all she had learned as a Waterbender.

"Don't worry," Hama said with a smile, reaching out to grasp hold of her hand, "I'll teach you what you need to know."

"But…But we probably won't be staying on with you here very long," Katara explained glumly, "Aang has a friend here in the Fire Nation and we need to get to him so that Zuko will have a safe place to train."

"Your Aang seems like a very resourceful young man," Hama commented in a deceptively neutral tone.

"He's amazing," Katara agreed.

"You sound as if you're in love."

Katara smiled at the observation. "That's because I am. I've never felt like this before."

"Were there no boys you liked back home in your village?" Hama wondered.

"There were a few," Katara admitted, "But they left to join the war effort. Before that, there were some who were killed in the raids so nothing ever came of it. In fact, before Sokka and I decided to join Zuko, we were the two oldest kids in our village. All the other warriors had left and the Waterbenders had all been taken."

She recounted to Hama the struggles and strife that had finally led to her father's decision to leave their village and join the resistance forces against the Fire Nation. Katara didn't realize how much bitterness and anger saturated her tone as she spoke, but Hama was very aware. By the time Katara had finished her tale, she and Hama were standing at the old Waterbender's front door. She was mildly embarrassed by the realization, unable to understand what it was about Hama that made her want to pour out her heart without reserve.

"That must have been difficult for you," Hama murmured sympathetically when Katara had finished speaking. The younger Waterbender nodded, made somber and reflective with the relived memories. "So you never really had an opportunity to enjoy your childhood, did you?"

"Not really," Katara confessed, "There was too much work to do."

"And Aang? He's the first boy you've ever loved, isn't he?"

Again, Katara found herself smiling. "Yeah, he is."

"Have you two been together very long?"

"Not long," Katara admitted, "It took me a while to figure out what I really wanted."

"Hmm…it's not all that surprising you struggled with the idea, considering…" Hama deliberately left the last of that statement hanging and Katara, predictably, took the bait.

"Considering what?" she prompted.

"Well, think about it," Hama murmured, "Aang's people are responsible for destroying our culture and way of life. They decimated our villages and our families. His people are the reason I was taken from my home and _your_ _mother_ was killed. They are the reason that you and I are the only two Southern Waterbenders left!"

"I've never associated that with Aang," Katara said.

"Maybe you should," Hama suggested softly, "After the horrible atrocities the Fire Nation committed against our people, it's…it's almost _obscene_ that you should love him." Katara inhaled sharply. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, child, but you must be realistic. While your father may approve of this boy, it's not likely the majority of our people will. Think of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in those senseless raids! Think of your mother, Katara! The truth is you would have likely never even looked twice at that boy if young men of your own culture had been available to you, young men the Fire Nation stole from us!"

Katara was so stunned in the aftermath of Hama's tirade that she didn't even detect Aang's rear approach until he asked, "Is that how _you_ feel, Katara?" She whirled to face him, unable to answer the question right away, caught between extreme guilt and anger over Hama's words. However, to Aang her silence was as good as an admission of guilt. He immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Well, okay then," he uttered tersely, "It's good to know how you feel!" Without giving her the opportunity to explain at all, Aang turned on his heel then and walked away, ignoring Katara's plaintive cries from behind for him to wait.

She snapped back around to glare at Hama. "Why did you do that?" she cried, "You don't even know him! He's not like those Firebenders you described at all!"

"It seems to me, Katara, that he doesn't know _you_," Hama countered quietly. "He was rather quick to assume the worst of you, wasn't he? It's something to think about."

Without another word, Hama stepped inside the house, leaving a shaken and confused Katara alone in the open courtyard.


	51. Chapter Fifty

**Chapter Fifty**

"Do you know where Aang went?" Sokka shrugged at Katara's question, barely glancing up from the map spread across the table where he was seated. He was unaware that his casual response pressed the limits of his sister's patience and left her growling in frustration.

Following Katara's conversation with Hama, the situation with Aang had gone rapidly downhill. Several times she had approached him with overtures to talk and several times he had taken active measures to avoid her. If she _did_ manage to corner him, there was always something else he _had_ to do. At first she had been frustrated and filled with regret, but those emotions quickly gave way to annoyance and anger at his continued avoidance. She seriously considered ignoring him altogether, especially when she thought about the fact that she'd actually done nothing wrong, but she hated the idea of him walking around believing that she agreed with even the smallest bit of Hama's rant.

Consequently, after he disappeared entirely, Katara had searched all corners of the inn before finally taking the miniscule chance that she might find him in his room. But, of course, that had yielded nothing. Now, dusk was beginning to fall and, in addition to the misunderstanding between them, Katara didn't even know where he was. Not only was he evading her, but he had completely disappeared.

She was beginning to worry, but she also couldn't shake her growing irritation with Aang over his reaction. While she understood his hurt and confusion over what he'd heard, it wasn't at all fair that he'd not given her the chance to explain. He was jumping to conclusions again; just as he had the night she'd told him she loved him.

"What's eating you?" Sokka asked, noting Katara's sullen expression in his peripheral vision.

Katara snapped erect, unaware that her inner turmoil had been playing out plainly on her face. She fixed her brother with an aloof stare. "Nothing's eating me," she brazened. Sokka shot her a skeptical look. Seeing it, Katara made a rather obvious attempt to change the subject. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, "I thought you'd jump at the chance to go shopping with the others."

"Couldn't do it," Sokka replied absently as he carefully charted points on the map, "Someone has to plan out tomorrow's journey and since you're too busy making best friends with Hama, Suki and Toph wanted to spend the day lollygagging, Zuko wanted to train and Aang's got some kind of beetle-bee up his shorts, I guess coordinating this journey is up to me." He paused and lifted his head to peer at his sister suspiciously. "Speaking of Aang…" he began in a curious drawl, "what did you do to him? He's been moody all day. Did you guys have some kind of fight or something?"

"What makes you think that?" Katara asked a little bit too innocently.

Sokka snorted in disgust at her coy attempt. "That's what I thought," he huffed, "This is why I was totally against you and Aang being involved in the first place! You're completely messing up the group's dynamic, Katara!"

"What? How am I 'messing up the dynamic'?" she demanded irritably, "And what do you mean you were against it? What are you saying?" After her conversation with Hama, Katara was more than a little sensitive to people criticizing her relationship with Aang. "Are you saying there's something _wrong_ with us being together? I thought you liked Aang!"

"I do! Sheesh," Sokka grumbled, "Simmer down! I think Aang's a great guy and an even better friend. But let's be completely honest here. He has problems concentrating when you're around."

"So says the guy whose lips are permanently attached to his girlfriend's! You're not exactly focused these days either, Sokka!" Katara retorted, "If Toph weren't already blind, she'd have willfully gouged out her eyes the way you and Suki carry on!"

"Hey, this is about _you_, not me! I know how to separate business from pleasure!" Sokka flung back.

Katara drew herself up straight with a derisive snort. "I don't know how you managed to say that with a straight face."

"I'm just saying it's different," Sokka rephrased.

"How's that? Because I'm a girl? Is that it?"

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, Katara," Sokka prefaced in an attempt to mollify her, "I just think it would be best for the group if you resolved whatever is going on between you and Aang as quickly as possible."

"What do you think I've been trying to do all afternoon?" Katara snapped.

"Alright, alright," Sokka grouched, throwing up his hands in surrender, "You don't have to get so testy about it!"

"So testy about what?" Suki asked as she strode into the bedroom and made a beeline towards Sokka.

The moment he saw her, his mouth stretched in a beaming smile. The two exchanged a soft kiss, which gradually deepened into something more. Katara had to clear her throat loudly several times before they finally broke their kiss and remembered she was in the room. "Sorry about that, Katara," Suki mumbled sheepishly. She perched herself onto Sokka's knees and regarded her friend with an earnest expression. "What's going on with you?"

"She's just upset because she can't find Aang and she's taking it out on me," Sokka interjected, scowling his affront.

"He's not missing," Suki said before Katara could bite back a retort, "I just saw him outside talking to Hama a few minutes ago."

"You saw him talking to Hama?" Katara pressed, her eyes going wide with excited relief, "That's great! Maybe this whole thing will be resolved now that they're speaking." She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep sigh. "What a relief!" Unfortunately, her bit of respite was short-lived.

"What whole mess?" Sokka asked. Katara's eyes snapped open. "What happened?"

"Um…well…you see…Aang kind of overheard me and Hama talking earlier and he…uh…kind of got the wrong impression, that's all," Katara hedged.

"The wrong impression about what?" Suki queried, "What were you talking about?"

Katara cleared her throat. "The Fire Nation," she revealed reluctantly, "You see…Hama told me how she felt about them, especially in regard to what they did to _our_ people. She feels that me being with Aang, because he's a Firebender, is a betrayal to our nation and our heritage. She said that if it wasn't for what the Fire Nation did to us, I wouldn't have even looked twice at Aang because there would have been plenty of Water Tribe boys for me back home."

"She said _what_?" Sokka balked.

Sokka's blustering reaction had Katara dropping her eyes. "I…I guess she thinks I can do better or something."

"You told her that?" her brother demanded.

She fixed him with a wild look. "No, I didn't say that," Katara stressed, "_Hama_ said it…or at least that's what she implied. She said the fact that I should love Aang at all is…is obscene."

"And what did you say to her?" Suki asked, unable to reconcile the Hama her friend was describing with the little, old lady that had taken them in.

"I hope you told her off," Sokka declared, frowning, "What right does she have to say anything like that? She doesn't even know Aang!"

"Well…I…I didn't say anything," Katara stammered, "It was so unexpected. I was shocked."

"So you just stood there and listened to her spew all that garbage?" Sokka cried incredulously.

"What else was I supposed to do, Sokka?" Katara flung back defensively, "She's entitled to her feelings! Besides, I can sort of understand where she's coming from."

"Are you saying you agree with her?" Sokka snorted shrilly.

"No, I'm not saying I agree, but…look at this from _her_ point of view," Katara argued, "Before Hama met me she thought she was the last Southern Waterbender alive. She believed that our people's tradition was going to die with her and then I came along and she was suddenly presented with the opportunity to teach me all that she knew. How do you think it makes her feel to know that the girl she placed so much hope in is in love with a Firebender, especially when all she's known from the Fire Nation is cruelty, death and destruction?"

"She has a point," Suki interjected softly.

"I'm not saying I don't sympathize with Hama," Sokka sighed, "or that I don't understand how she feels. I do. I've struggled with the same feelings myself. But we have to look at this from _Aang's_ perspective too. From the moment he met us he has done nothing but stick his neck out to prove his loyalty. He has risked his life and fought alongside us from the very start. He's _earned_ the right to be called our brother and more. Can you imagine how he felt standing there while you were listening to Hama describe what you felt for him as _obscene_? Katara, come on!" he finished in exasperation, "I know you get this!"

When stated in such a brutal fashion, it was impossible not to. Suddenly, the righteous indignation she'd felt over Aang's constant dodging became massive waves of shame. She slumped under the figurative weight of it. "You're saying I messed up, huh?" she asked her brother glumly.

"Big time," Sokka confirmed.

"Sokka, what do I do?"

"Just apologize," Suki advised her, "Aang adores you. He's not going to hold a grudge if you go to him and sincerely admit you made a mistake."

"And grovel," Sokka threw in, "Do lots of groveling. Girls don't do that often enough." That advice earned him a slap on the shoulder from his disgruntled girlfriend. "Well, you don't," he insisted, which earned him another slap. After he finished grumbling about "unwarranted abuse," Sokka said, "We should probably go ahead and leave here after Aang gets back."

"But it's already dark," Suki pointed out, "Why can't we wait until morning?"

"The stuff Hama said," Sokka replied pensively, "it doesn't sit right with me. Her hatred for the Fire Nation is too deep. There's no way that Aang would be welcomed or accepted here and, if he's not welcome to stay here then neither are we."

Katara nodded her agreement. "I'll go tell Zuko and Toph."

The sun had been set for more than two hours and still neither Aang nor Hama had returned. Katara peered outside the stable doors for the fifth time in a ten minute span before pivoting to face her friends. "I think we should go look for him," she announced. She received surprisingly little opposition to the decision.

"I agree," Zuko said.

"I think we should have started an hour ago," Toph added.

"It's not like Aang to be gone this long without word," Suki tacked on.

Sokka, however, had to play devil's advocate. "I seriously doubt anything has happened to him," he said. "I mean, this is _Hama_ we're talking about. I know she's supposed to be this impressive Waterbender and everything, but if Aang can't take a little old lady then…" He trailed off into silence when he noticed the death glare his sister was shooting in his direction. "Er…I don't know what to tell you," he finished weakly.

"Is the idea of him and Hama fighting supposed to make me feel better, Sokka?" Katara deadpanned.

"I'm just saying Aang probably has a lot of aggression stored up," he phrased carefully, "After everything Hama said about him, he probably needs to get some stuff off his chest."

"But they've been gone more than an hour," Katara argued.

"It can't hurt to look for them," Toph said, "The later Aang gets back, the later we leave. Worst case scenario…we walk in when they're in the middle of a heated bending match."

"Like that'll happen," Suki mumbled under her breath.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" Toph sighed.

"We should split up then," Sokka suggested. "We'll find them faster that way."

Sokka, Suki and Toph headed off towards the base of the mountain chain while Katara and Zuko took off towards the spot where Hama had given Katara bending lessons earlier that afternoon. "This is all my fault," Katara lamented mournfully to her friend as they walked on.

"Yeah, it kinda is," Zuko agreed, "But you know Aang will forgive you for it. I'm not sure he even _knows_ how to hold a grudge."

"It's not that I _agreed_ with what Hama was saying," Katara explained desperately, "I didn't. I know that Aang isn't anything like the Firebenders Hama has known. But, at the same time, I can't help the part of me that does feel guilty…the part of me that wonders if I _am_ betraying my people. I don't know." She glanced at Zuko for guidance, hopelessly confused. "What do you think, Zuko?"

"You're asking _me_?"

"Well, you're the Avatar," she stressed, "Share your wisdom. I need your advice."

"Somehow that idea really scares me."

"Zuko, I'm being serious!"

"So am I! I think I might be the wrong person to ask, Katara," he considered. "Think about it. The Fire Nation wiped out my entire culture. All my people are gone. I am the last Airbender. But if Mai were here right now, if I could be with her, I would. I wouldn't even hesitate."

His poignant confession stopped Katara in her tracks. She stared at him with round blue eyes full of amazement and sorrow. "Wow. You really loved her, didn't you?" she queried softly.

"I never really thought about what I felt for her," Zuko replied, "I didn't have a label for it and I didn't need one. All I knew was that, when I was with her, I was happy." He cleared his throat and blinked back the sudden tears that filled his eyes. "I was _really_ happy."

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara whispered.

"The point is," he continued, deliberately pressing past his grief to address her concerns, "who cares what other people think, Katara? What do _you_ think? What do _you_ want? How does Aang make _you_ feel? Ultimately, you're the one who has to be with him, not your people, so it shouldn't matter what _they_ think at all. If Aang makes you happy, then follow your heart."

"I don't know where you ever got the impression you aren't wise, Zuko," she whispered proudly, "because you're one of the wisest people I know." Before he could prepare himself, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard.

Zuko emitted a sigh of pure long-suffering. "I wish you would stop doing this," he grumbled, "Hugging isn't my thing, Katara."

She hugged him tighter. "Oh, you know you love it."

He started to argue that point when a man suddenly burst from a nearby forest of trees and startled them apart.

"Aang! Hama!" Sokka called out their names at regular intervals, but received no answers. He frowned to himself. "Where could they have gone?"

Suddenly remembering something she'd heard in the marketplace earlier that day, Suki tipped a glance up at the sky and noted the brilliant light of the moon overhead. "Toph, it's a full moon," she said quietly.

"Yeah? So?" Sokka charged, "What has that got to do with anything?"

"Earlier today when we were in the marketplace we overheard some of the people talking," Toph explained, "Apparently, there have been a number of disappearances in this town…actually it's been all over this province. People just vanish and they're never heard from again."

"And it always happens during a full moon," Suki added ominously, "It's a full moon tonight."

"So what are you saying?" Sokka snorted, "You think the moon kidnapped Aang and Hama?" Suki and Toph's answering silence confirmed that they fully believed moonlight shenanigans were involved. "That's ridiculous! The moon spirit is kind and gentle and rules the night sky with compassion and lunar goodness!"

His passionate outburst left Suki nonplussed. "Um…kay," she answered slowly, "I didn't mean to hit a nerve. Do you have a better suggestion?"

Sokka counted to ten before he answered her. "I'm just saying that I'm sure there are more plausible explanations than—,"

"Shh!" Toph interrupted sharply, her brow furrowed in an intense frown of concentration.

"What is it now?" Sokka hissed.

"That sound from the other night," she whispered, "I hear it again." She listened closely, feeling the vibrations strongly beneath her feet. "I can't believe it. You guys, I was right!" she gasped in disbelief, "It _is_ people screaming. There are _people_ under the mountain!" She started running in the direction of the muffled tremors. "Come on!"

His arms and legs moved with grotesque rigidity, as if he were nothing more than a marionette under the control of a skilled puppeteer. Terrified, the man screamed at Zuko and Katara to help him even while he continued marching forward towards an undetermined destination. The two teens flanked his sides and reflexively grabbed hold of his arms, but were subsequently dragged along for their trouble. The man did not stop…or, at least, he _couldn't_.

"What's wrong with you?" Zuko cried, finding that everything he and Katara did to slow the man down resulted in them being pulled or mowed over entirely.

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" the man panicked, "I can't control myself! Please, do something! Don't let me die! _Please, don't let me die!_" Left with few options and knowing full well he was risking exposure by doing so, Zuko bent up a band of earth around the man, immobilizing him. "Thank you," the man sighed gratefully only seconds before he began making an odd choking sound and his eyes rolled to the back of his skull.

Katara released a terrified yelp as the man started an anguished keening. And then, abruptly he went silent. Quickly, Zuko bent him free again, but his efforts to save the stranger proved too late. He stared down at the deceased man in horror.

"I…I don't know what just happened," Zuko stammered, visibly unnerved.

"You really gave me no choice." Zuko and Katara whirled around to find Hama standing a few feet away, bathed in the moonlight, gray hair flowing loosely in the wind and blue eyes gleaming maniacally. "It's for the best," she said without even the slightest hint of remorse, "He was a Firebender, you know."

"Hama, what did you do?" Katara demanded in a horrified whisper.

The old woman smiled at her, a smile that no longer seemed benign and unassuming, but twisted and evil. "This is the technique I wanted to teach you, Katara," she said, "I call it…_bloodbending_." She smirked at Katara. "Remember what I told you…water is _everywhere_. There is no form of bending more powerful than this. With it, we can destroy the Fire Nation! They will bow to us!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Katara replied, backing away with a shiver of disgust, "And I want no part of it."

"You think you have a choice?" Hama exploded, "There is no choice, girl! It is kill or be killed!"

"I can't let you hurt anyone else, Hama!" Zuko spit tersely, "It's over!"

"I'll say when it's over!" Hama growled.

She turned her hand deliberately so that, when Zuko attempted to bend at her, his arm locked in place and twisted behind his back. Very soon that arm was joined by his other. She forced him to his knees then, holding him to the ground with a sneer of satisfaction. It only took a few seconds for Katara to overcome her horrified shock, but her attempt at a counter-attack landed her in a similar position. She found herself flattened against the earth, her arms and legs flattened in a spread-eagled position.

"If I wanted, I could burst every blood vessel in your body," Hama hissed, "But I'm willing to give you a chance, Katara! Learn me from me! Avenge our people!"

"No…no…" Katara sobbed, "I could never be like you! I could never do what you've done!" She mewled with pain, feeling the pressure build up in her body. It wasn't localized, but seemed to expand everywhere, in every vein, every cell. Katara felt light-headed and short of breath. She wondered vaguely if she was dying.

"This is that boy's doing!" Hama spat, "He's twisted you around! You don't even know where your loyalty should lie!"

The mention of Aang chilled Katara thoroughly. Not six feet away lay the remains of Hama's merciless handiwork. Katara cringed inwardly when she thought of what Hama may have done with Aang.

"Where's our friend?" Zuko demanded belligerently, despite his helpless position, "What have you done with him?"

Hama cackled, dismissing Zuko altogether to focus entirely on Katara. "If you won't learn the technique for your people, then perhaps you'll do it for that boy," she whispered menacingly, "I might even be willing to spare his life in the end…"

Katara was strangely relieved by the threat. At least she knew that Aang was still alive. But she was also overwhelmed by the depth of her naiveté and foolishness. Tears leaked from her eyes. Not only had she compromised herself by trusting Hama so easily and completely, she had placed Aang in danger as well. The combination of it all was simply too much to bear.

Saddened and betrayed, but filled with determined rage as well, Katara gathered her strength even as she gathered the water from the blades of grass crushed beneath her curling fists. "Alright…alright…" she wept brokenly, "I'll do what you want, Hama…"

However, the moment she felt Hama's hold on her loosen, Katara struck and hurled forth half a dozen daggered blades of ice. Hama's eyes widened a split second before she collected together the droplets of water from the atmosphere and banded them together in a protective wall. Shards of ice shattered against the glistening shield.

Zuko scrambled to his feet the moment Hama lost her grip on him, quickly bending out jutting pillars of earth to knock the old woman off balance. Bracing herself up onto a moving band of ice, Hama slipped and slid around and between Zuko's attempts to subdue her. She smacked him hard with a stinging water whip only moments before she was flipped from her perch by Katara. She slammed to the ground with a disoriented groan. Yet, as Zuko and Katara closed in on her, the prone Waterbender regained control of Zuko so that he turned on Katara.

Hama commanded the movements of Zuko's arms and legs so that he slashed and punched at Katara with brutal force. He clipped her shoulders and arms several times, apologizing and berating himself profusely for the inadvertent blows. Ignoring Zuko's strident commands to knock him out, Katara leapt out from beneath her friend's involuntary, chopping assault, ducking Hama's deadly pins of ice as she did.

"Don't hurt your friend, Katara!" she taunted as the younger Waterbender struggled to subdue her friend without harming him, "And don't let him hurt himself!" Bending forth a stream of water from the ground and surrounding trees, Hama formed a crystallized point of glittering ice and sent Zuko hurling straight for it, intent on impaling him.

His yelp of stunned horror mingled with Katara's fearful scream. He moved towards the glinting point with alarming speed. Zuko closed his eyes, preparing for the bloody impact, when suddenly…he stopped. Breath suspended in a painful wheeze, Zuko slowly opened his eyes to find that the ice shard was mere inches from his face. He wilted to his knees in shaking relief.

A few feet away, Hama stood with her arm frozen in a trembling pose which was controlled by a weeping Katara. Though Hama could have easily reversed Katara's hold, having had years of experience and practice with the technique, she didn't. Rather than attack again, the old woman rumbled a satisfied laugh. "Well done, my pupil," she commended proudly, "Well done. You're a bloodbender now."

Katara was still shaking with disgust over that pronouncement when a sudden commotion erupted from behind the trees. "There she is!" a woman cried. She was followed behind by Fire Nation guards. The moment she cleared the trees she pointed at Hama. "That's the woman who kidnapped us! She's a Waterbender and she's crazy! She was going to kill us all!"

As the authorities rushed in to charge and sentence Hama for kidnapping, murder _and_ forbidden bending and pushed her to her knees in preparation for a swift and unmerciful execution, Katara was unable to watch and turned away. Her stomach rumbled as she listened to Hama struggle, cursing the Fire Nation even when she was only seconds from death. Katara knew that speaking out on her behalf would put the entire group in danger, but she still couldn't help but feel like a coward for standing there and doing nothing. She was shaking all over, very aware of how easily it could have been _her_ in Hama's place. Katara wanted to run and hide, but her knees felt like jelly. She was sure if she attempted to take even one step, they would not support her. It was almost a relief when she heard her name being called because it provided a distraction from what was happening behind her.

She glanced up just as Sokka, Suki, Toph and Aang came rushing towards her. Before they had even reached her and Zuko's sides, she was flying forward to fling herself into Aang's arms with a choked sob of relief. She buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him so tightly that the trembling in her body caused him to tremble as well. No one acknowledged the small group of Firebenders carrying away Hama's lifeless body. They closed their eyes to it, horrified and relieved all at once.

"Are you guys okay?" Sokka asked even as he diligently looked his sister and friend over to find out the answer for himself.

"Not really," Zuko grunted, still shaken in the aftermath of his near death experience, "Hama just tried to kill me!" He looked over at Katara who was still burrowed in the circle of Aang's arms and weeping softly. Though nearly imperceptible, he detected the subtle stiffening of her shoulders at the mention of the old Waterbender. He was determined to let Katara know that she had nothing to be ashamed of. "She almost did kill me too," he added quietly, "but Katara saved my life."

"Well, you're not the only one she had lethal plans for," Toph told him, "She had more than a dozen people stashed under the mountain, including Aang!"

"She had this ability…I don't know what it was," Aang explained, frowning with the recollection, "One minute I was walking away from her and the next, I wasn't in control of anything anymore. She made me go to this secret place that was tucked beneath the mountain. She said you guys thought I'd run off and abandoned you after what happened this afternoon. I thought I'd never see you again." He and Katara exchanged a meaningful look.

"Apparently, she'd done this before in other towns," Suki recounted further, "Someone recognized her and that's how it started all up again here. She had been trying to cover her tracks."

"There's that and the fact she was completely insane," Toph interjected dryly.

"Well, at least it's over now," Sokka sighed thankfully, "Let's get out of this crazy town and head for Piandao's before those Firebenders discover who we are and that we're hiding a magical bison in Hama's stable."

Half an hour later as the group had finished packing the last of their belongings onto Appa. Only when they were all loaded up and ready to go did it become apparent Katara had wandered off. Aang volunteered for the search and found her curled beneath a tree on the edge of Hama's property. Wordlessly, he sat down beside her and took her hands and sandwiched them between his own.

"We're ready to go now," he informed her softly, waiting a beat before he asked, "You okay?"

"Not really."

"She didn't hurt you, did she?"

Katara shook her head mutely. "Not physically anyway."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Katara," Aang whispered, "I know how much it meant to you to find another Southern Waterbender."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry, Aang," Katara countered feelingly, "When Hama said all that stuff to me this afternoon, I should have shut her down. But I let my admiration and awe of her cloud my judgment." She shifted around to face him fully. "For the record, I don't feel that way about you. I'm not ashamed of being with you or…loving you."

"I know that," Aang acknowledged softly, "I really do. I guess I was too angry to listen to reason earlier."

"You wouldn't even give me the chance to explain," Katara reminded him in a hurt whisper, "You completely shut down and you shut me out in the process. How could you just assume the worst of me like that?"

"I don't know," he mumbled thickly, "I don't know why I did it and I'm sorry. I know I wasn't fair and it won't happen again. I promise." He peered at her from beneath his lashes. "I guess I'm still a little insecure about all of this. Sometimes I can't even believe that we're together," he confessed, "I keep expecting you to change your mind about me."

"I'm not going to do that."

He shrugged at her promise. "Maybe you will," he considered in an impassive tone, "Who knows what'll happen in the future or how we'll feel about each other? The point is, we're together now and I want to enjoy that. I can't keep punishing you for something you haven't done yet."

Katara couldn't decide if she felt comforted or disheartened by his realization. "Why are you talking to me like we're only temporary or something?" she asked him in a small tone.

Aang sighed deeply, meeting her wet stare directly for the first time since he'd joined her. "I don't want us to be," he admitted fervently, "But…being with me isn't going to be easy, Katara. Some people will accept us and some people won't. It's entirely possible and _likely_ that you're going to encounter people who resent you for being with me. They may even hate you for it." He leaned into her so that their foreheads were just touching. "You have to ask yourself if it's worth it," he whispered, "…if _I'm_ worth it."

She didn't even have to think about it because Katara realized that decision had been made a long time ago. "You're definitely worth it, Aang," she murmured with absolute conviction before pressing her lips to his in a love affirming kiss.


	52. Chapter Fifty One

**A/N: I'd just like to officially thank my beta for all the help he's given me, especially in the last few chapters. His input has been invaluable and, without him, I'm pretty sure my brain would have fallen out weeks ago. Thank you, Satyuros.**

**JC, I won't say I'll never do "exchange" fics again, but it won't be any time soon. Writing this one was a lot harder than I'd imagined.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-One**

"So is this how we know it's springtime?"

Zuko popped open a single eye as Toph plopped down beside him. Without warning, Momo leapt into his lap as well, apparently having tagged along after Toph. It was evident his moment of tranquility had been lost.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable, you two," he invited blandly, "It's not like I'm meditating or anything."

"Well, I'm glad you weren't busy," Toph replied cheekily.

Recognizing that she had no intention of going anywhere, Zuko expelled a defeated sigh. "What's on your mind, Toph?"

They had camped for the night on a small bluff overlooking a choppy, moonlit sea. Below them was a small beach that was made sharp and jagged with large, broken boulders partially hidden beneath drifts of gravelly sand. The parts of the beach that were relatively flat were littered heavily with pebbles and seaweed and other ocean detritus. The place could hardly be described as picturesque and yet Aang and Katara frolicked about it as if the beach were one made of powdery soft sands kissed by crisp, blue ocean. They scrambled over the rocks in a childish game of tag, splashing through the sea foam and shrieking with laughter as they did.

"So _I'm_ bothering you, but you can meditate with that racket?" Toph observed wryly.

"Believe it or not, their laughter is actually soothing. Don't ask me why."

Toph snorted. "Well, if that's how you feel then Suki's incessant giggling would probably sound like music to your ears," she grumbled.

"Is that why you're out here?" Zuko wondered, "Tent time again?"

"However did you guess?" she drawled sarcastically, "I couldn't sleep. I know Sokka and Suki think they're sneaking around, but they really couldn't be more obvious."

"Do I even want to know?" Zuko muttered to himself.

"Why can't you people seem to remember I have excellent hearing?" she lamented crabbily, "Not to mention the whole 'special sight' thing. There are some things about you guys I don't need to know!" She barely repressed her repulsed shudder. "I'm scarred for life."

Zuko didn't need any further explanation about what had happened. The implications were fairly obvious. Both amused and sympathetic, Zuko couldn't help but laugh at Toph's disgruntled expression. Toph, unfortunately, was not amused and she elbowed him in the ribs for his laughter. Grimacing, Zuko elbowed her back. "Hey, I had nothing to do with it! Don't be mad at me because Sokka ruined your night by enjoying his!" he retorted.

"It's not even that," Toph snapped irritably, "Well, it _is_, but I'm trying to blot that from my mind." She pulled her knees to her chest so that she could rest her chin on the tops and flex her bare feet in the dirt. Toph found strange sense of comfort in the way the grains of soil slipped in between her toes. "Doesn't it bother you at all?" she whispered.

Zuko frowned at her mercurial shift in mood. "Does what bother me?"

She nodded towards the beach, where Aang was currently stalking Katara for daring to flick him across the backside with her water whip. "Seeing them all together when you…well, you know…" Toph hedged uncomfortably.

"You mean because of what happened with Mai?" Toph jerked an awkward nod. "No," Zuko answered a little too quickly. But he didn't need to see Toph's dubious reaction to know what a terrible liar he was. Zuko couldn't even convince himself. "Well, maybe a little," he amended in a sheepish mumble. "I don't…I try not to think about it."

"Is that because it doesn't matter anymore or because you can't handle it?" Toph demanded bluntly.

Because the question was a bit more intimate than he could handle at the moment, Zuko crossly answered her question with a question. "Why are we talking about this at all?"

"Excuse me for caring, Moodbender," she retorted, "I just thought you might need someone to talk to."

"You mean _you?_" Zuko balked.

"Okay, maybe not me," Toph conceded ironically, "But holding all your feelings inside can't be a good thing. I know that much."

He scratched behind Momo's ears, smiling slightly at the lemur's contented chitter. "I'm not holding them inside," he assured her, "I'm actually coping very well. Aang and I have already discussed it and Sokka's given me plenty advice about it as well. He probably understands what I'm feeling better than anyone since he lost his first girlfriend at the North Pole."

While tucking away that bit of information that she hadn't gathered about Sokka before, Toph asked the question that was most pressing on her mind. It was the thing that had actually driven her out there to him in the first place. "So…um…is that what Mai was to you, Zuko? Was she your girlfriend?"

Zuko gave her a look. "That's a random question."

"What can I say?" Toph brazened, "I'm curious."

"You mean you're nosy."

"Same difference. One minute she was supposed to be running with Azula and the next she was with us and you were totally fine with it. I just don't get what happened." When he didn't answer immediately, she puffed out an aggravated sigh. "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"Well, if you'd asked Mai if she was my girl she would have told you 'no' and then probably hurled a knife at your head for even asking," he replied with a wistful smile, "Or maybe she would have thrown the knife first and _that_ would have been your answer…" However, his nostalgic ramblings were cut short when he read the words "get on with it" quite clearly in Toph's expression. "I guess I don't know what we were," he sighed finally, "But I know what I wanted her to be."

"I guess that answers that," Toph concluded in a peculiar tone. "She was…um…your first love then, huh?"

"No girl ever made me feel the way she did," Zuko confessed candidly, "So yeah, I guess she was. I liked everything about her; _really_ liked her…even fighting with her was fun. How many people can you say that about?"

He turned an envious look towards the beach, thoroughly missing how wistful his question seemed to make Toph. Instead, he found himself caught up in watching Aang and Katara dart along the beach. A dense fog had rolled across the beach so that Zuko could no longer see their antics. Despite that, however, their laughter continued to echo over the cliffs, reverberating musically over the crashing sea waves. After a few moments, their giggles became muffled and interspersed with odd stretches of silence. _Probably kissing_, Zuko discerned with a bittersweet smile.

"I wonder if I'll ever feel like that again," he mumbled to himself.

It had been a purely rhetorical question, but Toph gave him one regardless. "Maybe you will, but I don't understand why you'd want to," she remarked, "You seem pretty miserable to me at the moment."

"I thought you were under the impression that I'm _always_ miserable, Toph," Zuko emphasized, "And besides, my mood _has_ been improving since I recovered. Give me a little credit."

"I'm not saying that it hasn't," Toph conceded, "But it's still pretty easy to tell that something is missing for you."

"There _is_ something missing," Zuko admitted with a shrug. "I guess love is the thing that fills up the empty space." Toph snorted, which caused Zuko's eyebrows to cock in surprise. "You don't believe that?"

"Love complicates things," Toph declared succinctly, "It's messy and convoluted and leads to horrible misunderstandings. Basically, it's a waste of everyone's time. Sure Sokka and Suki and Aang and Katara are all butterflies and rainbows _now_, but just wait until the sparkle vision disappears. Everything in our group will be thrown off balance just because those four _had_ to make-out! It's insane!"

"Spoken like a true cynic…or someone who's had her heart broken before."

Toph's expression became shuttered. "I've never been in love."

"Really?" Zuko balked, "Never?"

"Don't sound like that!" Toph chided him waspishly, "I'm barely thirteen years old, Zuko! You guys are the weird ones for thinking you've found everlasting love in your teens! For goodness sake's, we fall in love with _everyone_!"

She didn't feel that was an exaggeration either. Toph had only to look to herself for reference. When she had first joined the group, she had found herself gravitating towards Sokka, drawn by his sarcastic humor and ingenuity. The fact that he seemed to appreciate and even admire her special abilities only made him grow in her eyes. Toph hadn't even recognized her feelings as a crush until Suki entered the picture and she felt the first sparks of jealousy. Toph made an immediate decision then and there to put Sokka out of her mind…and she had.

Inevitably and with the passage of time, her affections became attached to someone new. She'd been drawn to him because of his strength and determination. Like her, he was something of a social misfit and Toph found she could understand him better than anyone else, even his best friend. Most of the time, she didn't need him to tell her his feelings in order to know what he was thinking. Their thought patterns were similar. She admired him. She loved him like a brother. But when he had nearly died, that's when she first began to realize that she felt much more for him than a simple sibling camaraderie.

Of course, Zuko was oblivious to all that and Toph was thankful for that small miracle. She shuddered to contemplate the awkwardness that would likely spring up between them if he knew what she felt. Besides that, she didn't want him to know because she didn't _want_ to have the feelings in the first place. Toph didn't want any complications.

Just as she had done with Sokka, Toph tried to suppress her emotions altogether. She even doubled her efforts when it became clear how deeply he felt about Mai, even _after_ the knife-wielder's death. Unfortunately, unlike her earlier experience with Sokka, her feelings for Zuko weren't as easy to ignore. Toph had the dreaded suspicion that she was moving well beyond the crush stage into something much more profound and she _hated_ it.

She was suddenly caught up in the nagging desire to be close to him all the time. Far more than usual, she went out of her way to annoy Zuko even to the point of ignoring opportunities to tease Sokka and Aang. She wanted his attention and if she had to aggravate him in order to get it…she did what she had to do. Toph despised her neediness, but at the same time she couldn't stop herself. The realization was unfortunate because she'd have to have rocks for brains not to know his heart was still very much tied up with Mai. And Toph, even if she _were_ willing to let herself compete for his affections, certainly wasn't going to compete with a ghost…

"Love is overrated," she sighed finally, "Give me my friends and a nice, big pile of dirt and I'm good to go."

"See that's what I like about you, Toph," Zuko said, "You enjoy the simple things in life." They shared a brief laugh together before Zuko sobered abruptly. "But…you shouldn't close yourself off to loving people. Sometimes 'messy' and 'complicated' can be a good thing and this is coming from _me_, of all people. You know there has to be some merit to it."

"Maybe so, but I'll pass, Zuko."

"Okay…okay, I know you've never been in love before, but think about the relationship you had with your parents," Zuko considered, "I'm sure you were probably close to them. You loved them and they loved you and I know you most likely feel a void now that they're gone, just like I feel a void because of Gyatso. It's in our nature to want to fill that void with something good. Are you telling me that if someone comes along who loves you and makes you feel safe and protected like your parents did, you're going to reject that person just because you don't want things to be 'complicated'?"

At the mention of her parents, Toph immediately shut down. "I don't want to talk about that."

Zuko glanced at her sharply. "Toph, I don't mean to make you feel bad," he reassured her quickly, "I know you don't usually like to talk about your parents and, under different circumstances, I'd leave it at that, but… Our group has experienced a lot of loss lately. I…I thought it might bring up painful memories for you and well…if you want to talk…" He faltered off into uncomfortable silence, thoroughly unaccustomed to offering his shoulder. "I'm just saying it might make you feel better," he finished lamely.

"It won't."

"Toph, we've all lost someone close to us," he whispered, "We may not know exactly how it feels for _you_, but we get how much it hurts."

"Zuko, stop."

"I'm just saying that…you know…talking is okay…"

"I don't need to talk," she retorted stiffly.

"You're the one who said it's not good to hold stuff in," Zuko reminded her, "Can't take your own advice?"

"I don't need to take my own advice because there's nothing to hold in, alright," she snapped, "My parents aren't dead, Zuko! I lied okay!" At her outburst, Momo bolted upright and quickly scurried behind Zuko's back for protection.

Toph hardly paid attention to the lemur. She tensed in the wake of her bellowed confession, anticipating Zuko's fury and disappointment. In her mind, she imagined him banishing her from the group and her friends ostracizing her. Considering all they had suffered, she fully expected them to hate her for her heartless lie. She imagined deserving every bit of that hatred too. And so Toph waited, hardening her heart for what she believed was coming.

But Zuko was silent in the aftermath, almost oddly so. In fact, while his heartbeat had quickened slightly with her outburst, it was hardly pounding at all presently. Toph didn't detect the steady thumping of blood rushing through his veins, which was usually the way she gauged if a person was angry or not. Instead, Zuko's breathing was deep and steady. He seemed inordinately calm and composed and Toph could only think of one reason or why that was. She wanted to clobber him.

"You knew, didn't you?" she hissed in accusation, "If you knew I was lying this whole time, why didn't you just put me out of my misery?"

"Well, I knew you were a liar, Toph, but I didn't know what you were lying about," Zuko retorted defensively. "I figured you were keeping a secret about your parents, but I never imagined anything like this. I didn't know about it at all until you just blurted it out a minute ago."

Toph face-palmed, belatedly realizing she was telling on herself. "Great."

"So I guess you didn't have such a happy childhood if you're pretending your folks are dead, huh?"

"What gave it away?" Toph deadpanned.

"Did they mistreat you somehow?" Zuko wondered bluntly, never once stopping to consider whether the subject was taboo or not.

"No!" Toph balked, "My parents never gave me anything but the very best! They spoiled me rotten."

"Oh, so that's why you're so obnoxious," Zuko considered, plowing on with his next question before Toph could throw back an indignant retort. "Did they neglect you?"

"If anything they showed me too much attention," Toph mumbled.

Baffled by her answers, Zuko asked very carefully, "They weren't…depraved or anything, were they? You didn't have a family like Aang's, did you?"

"Not even close!" Toph snorted, "My father is Lao Bei Fong! He may be many things, but 'depraved' isn't one of them! He's the most respectable and _respected_ man there is!"

"You sound like you admire him," Zuko observed.

"My dad's a good man," Toph whispered.

"So…uh…let me get this straight," Zuko began, "Your parents didn't starve, mistreat or neglect you. They didn't treat you cruelly at all. You seem to admire and respect them, but you still ran away from home and pretended like they were dead. Yeah, they sound like real monsters," he finished in a monotone and a roll of his eyes.

"I'm glad you get it, Zuko."

"Actually, no. I don't get it."

"What's not to get? I was unhappy, so I left."

"And I'm guessing that when you did, you didn't tell them where you were going?" Zuko prodded.

"Not exactly."

"So…they have no idea where you are right now?"

"No."

"And it's also entirely possible that, given your disappearance and lack of contact, they probably think you're dead, is that right?"

That was a possibility that had never even occurred to Toph. Guilt surged anew inside her. "Yeah, I guess…" she admitted reluctantly, "I didn't really think about it."

"Wow…" Zuko breathed in a thoughtful tone, "…that's pretty cold, Toph."

His words, while largely free of judgment, had Toph surging to her feet in an angry whirl. "Don't you dare judge me!" she fired defensively, "You have no idea what my life was like or how controlling and smothering my parents could be! You think it just takes neglect and abuse to be miserable? You don't know anything, Zuko! You don't know what it's like to feel like you can't even _breathe_!"

"Actually, I know _exactly_ what that's like!" Zuko fired back, "I found out I was the Avatar and suddenly my whole life changed. Before I knew it there were all these crazy expectations being shoved on me. My future was being planned out by everyone around me, only I didn't get a say in any of it! You want to talk about being controlled? Wait until someone is telling you where to live, when to sleep, when to train, _how_ to train and doing all this while simultaneously ripping you away from the one thing that does provide you with a sense of security! You're the one who doesn't know anything!"

"I know too much. You just described my entire life in a nutshell," Toph replied glumly. "So I do get it, Zuko. And if you get it, maybe you can understand where I'm coming from and not judge me."

"I do understand," Zuko mumbled in a much calmer tone, "and I'm not trying to judge you. I turned my back on my responsibilities because I wanted to live _my_ life on _my_ terms. I didn't like people telling me what to do. I still don't."

"Exactly," Toph agreed. "I couldn't stay at home. My parents were killing me a piece at a time."

"I can understand needing to get out, but pretending they were dead?" he exclaimed dubiously.

"It was just…easier," she mumbled thickly, "If they were dead then I could make a clean break. I wouldn't have to feel guilty for running away from home, but… I do. I do feel guilty. All the time."

"Toph, you have to know your parents weren't _trying_ to make you miserable," Zuko reasoned softly, "Just like the monks weren't trying to make _me_ miserable. They were trying to protect me and prepare me for the future and they were doing that the best way they knew how. I'm sure your parents were doing the same with you.

"I didn't take the time to understand the monks' point of view and that's something I'll regret forever," he went on, "I can see it all so clearly now, but it's too late to make a difference. I can't change anything. But it's _not_ too late for you."

"You don't understand," Toph sniffled, swiping away the tears that fell on her cheeks, "My parents have this ideal for what makes the perfect daughter and that's not me. I'm _nothing_ like the girl they think I am."

"So keep running," Zuko replied almost glibly, "But don't expect it to solve anything. You'll just be a coward."

"I'm not a coward," she denied hotly.

"Then you know what you have to do to prove otherwise."

"You're saying I have to face my parents, aren't you?"

Zuko shrugged. "You're your own person, Toph. I'm not going to tell you what to do."

"What happened to you during that spirit walk?" she wondered wryly, "When did you become this fount of wisdom?"

"I found myself," he answered, "More than that, I learned to _forgive_ myself. Now it's your turn."

Toph toed at the ground in obvious reluctance. "But if I go to my parents everyone is going to know that I lied," she muttered, "They'll hate me."

"The truth always comes out," Zuko told her. "Who would you rather them hear it from? You or someone else?" Toph gave the appearance of mulling over the question, which provoked Zuko's exasperated growl. "You want them to hear it from _you_," he stated implacably, "Tell them."

"I thought you said you weren't going to tell me what to do," Toph retorted sharply.

"I lied."

"Way to set an example there, Avatar," she teased him with a cheeky grin.

"You can't joke your way out of this, Toph," Zuko replied seriously, "And you can't avoid it forever."

"I don't know what I dread most," she mused in a suffocated tone, "Contacting my parents or facing my friends."

Though he wanted to soothe her anxiety, Zuko didn't bother filling her head with useless platitudes. He definitely wouldn't want that if their positions were reversed. Instead, he promised, "I'll be there with you the whole time."

"Thanks, Zuko. I don't know how you don't hate me right now, but I'm glad you don't."

"I already told you, Toph. I can't condemn you for doing the exact same thing I did and for the same reason too. I understand how you feel better than anyone." The two exchanged a nod of mutual understanding. "So when do you want to do it?" Zuko asked.

"Tonight," Toph replied without further thought, "The sooner I get this over with, the better."

Zuko floated gracefully to his feet. "That's probably a good idea," he commended her. "I'll go and get the others."

She called after him as he started down the cliff towards the beach. Zuko paused expectantly. "You promise you'll be with me?" she prompted meekly.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Toph's admiration for him swelled with those four, simple words. As he disappeared down the rocks, bouncing agilely from boulder to boulder, Momo scampered forward to watch his descent. The lemur turned back to chatter something intelligible at Toph. "Yeah, Momo, he is pretty great, isn't he?" Toph sighed as the last of Zuko's light vibrations faded until she could no longer sense him, "…Not that I'll ever tell him that to his face."

****

Azula sensed the Dai Li agent's presence even before he was announced. However, she didn't budge from her lounging position, but continued to recline as her servants gently washed her hair. "My apologies, Empress," the agent murmured, "I did not mean to interrupt your leisure time."

"No matter," she replied, clapping her hands sharply in signal to dismiss her attendants. "You may finish later," she told them, "Leave us now." Once the doors to the royal wash room had been closed, Azula spoke. "Did you take care of the matter we discussed?" she demanded without preamble.

"The chest has been delivered to your bedchamber just as you commanded."

"There is no need for anyone besides you and me to know of this," she told him meaningfully.

"Of course, Empress."

"And the house? Did you fulfill those orders as well?"

"Nothing remains but ashes, majesty."

"Good." Despite his reassurance, however, there was a subtle agitation to his demeanor that had Azula narrowing her eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Someone had been there," the agent informed her, "Apparently, there was some half eaten food and the beds had been recently slept in. They must have left shortly before we arrived."

"Aang," Azula concluded without a beat, "I know it must have been my brother. No one else would have any interest in going to that house. No one else would dare."

"Shall I send out a militia?"

"Don't bother. I can only think of one reason why my brother would risk crossing over into the Fire Nation when he knows there's a bounty on his head," she said, "He believes he'll be able to take advantage of the eclipse. He probably views it as his one, last noble attempt to overthrow our tyrannical regime."

"Then he could be dangerous. Are you sure you don't want him brought into custody?" the agent pressed.

"We don't have to go after him at all. Why waste the man power? He'll come to us." She smirked at the knowledge. "And, when he does, he likely won't be alone."

"And that's a good thing?"

"It's an _excellent_ thing," Azula sighed, "Outlawed benders and traitors all in one place. It makes for fairly easy disposal, wouldn't you say?" Her smile widened as the Earthbender blanched. Even serving as her right hand, he was fearful to use his bending in her presence and Azula knew it. "Relax. You're not on my list of enemies…_yet_." The agent relaxed, but only just barely. "In the meantime, let's make sure that my brother has a proper welcome for when he arrives."

"As you wish, majesty."

After Azula had dismissed the agent, she spied Mai hovering from the corner of her eye. She turned to face the apparition fully, her lip curled in a sneer. "What do you want?"

"You should have listened to your errand boy," Mai told her, "You've never been able to best Aang in your entire life and that's not about to change."

"Be quiet," Azula snapped. "Things are different now! Aang is a traitor and a fugitive! He has no allies besides the ridiculous, powerless peasants who are foolish enough to follow him! The one ally he had who could possibly pose a threat to me is _dead_ and he died at _my_ hand! No one in their right mind would harbor Aang now, not when it means risking their own lives! I am an Empress now and _I_ have more power than you could imagine! Who could possibly stand against me?"

"You have the power for now, Azula," Mai mocked with a quiet laugh, "Only for now…"


	53. Chapter Fifty Two

**Chapter Fifty-Two**

"There it is, you guys," Aang announced, gesturing to the sprawling estate situated below them, "Master Piandao's compound." Zuko guided Appa around the perimeter of the property once more before taking them down through the wispy, morning clouds to land in a spot of wide open pastureland.

The first leg of their journey had been fraught with tension following Toph's surprising revelation about her not-so-dead parents. At first her friends had been understandably angry and disgusted that she would fabricate something so awful. But it hadn't taken very long for their indignant fury to shift towards admiration. After all, Toph hadn't been obligated to tell them the truth. It wasn't as if they'd ever suspected the lie. She could have continued deceiving them with no harm done. But, she had confessed anyway, and not because she'd been cornered, but because she loved and respected them enough to tell them the truth.

Upon realizing that, their forgiveness had been readily extended towards her and the matter was put behind them. With the exception of Katara, who had her constant issues with Toph beyond the fabrication, there was no lingering resentment amongst the friends. If anything, knowing the truth about Toph had made their group closer because they realized that there were no secrets between them. They were a family in every way that counted.

"So…what did you say this guy did again?" Sokka asked Aang as he swung an impressed glance around at the lavish prosperity surrounding them. "He must have more money than he can spend."

"He's does. He's a renowned swordsman," Aang replied, "There's no one better in the Fire Nation, or outside of it for that matter."

"Really?" Sokka considered thoughtfully, "Do you think he'd be interested in taking on a new student?" It was difficult for him not to feel useless from time to time being in the presence of such capable and awesome benders. Even Suki, who was without any bending skill herself, managed to be quite proficient in her fighting technique and the use of her fans. She was a master of her craft. Sokka, too, wanted to be an expert in something _besides_ throwing his boomerang. "I'd like to learn how to handle a sword," he said.

"I don't know if Master Piandao still teaches," Aang prefaced, "I don't remember seeing any students around when I was here before." However, when he noticed how Sokka's face fell with disappointment, he quickly added, "But I don't see the harm in asking him. You never know."

"I think I will ask him," Sokka decided.

When they crowded before the house's detailed entrance and clacked the heavy, brass door-knocker none of them had expected to be greeted personally by Master Piandao. The occurrence left them momentarily stunned. He didn't look like a man who should be answering his own door, but appeared to be a distinguished man of wealth. He was tall and lean with sharply angled features and rich, brown skin. While his features struck one upon first impression as serious and austere, the moment he saw Aang standing there, he smiled.

"Welcome back, Prince Aang," he greeted cordially before nodding to the small army clustered behind Aang. "And I see you've brought guests with you this time," he observed, "They are welcome also."

"Are you sure we're not intruding?" Aang pressed, "I didn't exactly give you notice."

"It is an honor to have you," Piandao murmured.

"No, the honor is being privileged to your generosity," Aang countered with a respectful bow. "Thank you, Master."

As Piandao stepped aside to allow them entry into his home, he remarked to Aang, "There is something different about you."

"I got a haircut," Aang replied, straight-faced.

The sword master's eyes gleamed with amusement and mischief. "Yes," he murmured gamely, "That's _exactly_ it."

After proper introductions had been made, Piandao gave them an impromptu tour of his home. He made it clear to them that they were welcome to go wherever they pleased, but he also warned them to be careful when venturing off the grounds. In town, there were numerous wanted posters for them being circulated. For their safety and the safety of those assisting them, Piandao advised them to keep as low a profile as possible.

Sokka only half listened to the warning. He was too distracted by the large display of rare swords that were showcased throughout Piandao's home. Noting his inattention, the sword master asked casually, "See anything you like?"

"They're all beautiful," Sokka said, "You can tell they've been excellently crafted."

"Are you skilled in the ways of the sword?"

"No," Sokka sighed, "I'm just an admirer."

"But he wants to learn!" Suki piped up in his behalf.

"He was going to ask you, but he's too possum-chicken to do it," Toph revealed bluntly.

"Will you teach him?" Katara solicited hopefully. While Sokka was able to resist the impulse to hide his face in shame, he couldn't quite suppress his long-suffering groan.

"I'm very selective with my students," Piandao said, "I do not accept just anyone. And those I _do_ accept must train with wholehearted commitment. Anything less than that level of dedication is a waste of my time."

"Sokka's very dedicated," Zuko vouched, "He'll do whatever is necessary."

Piandao turned to Sokka. "I am hearing ringing endorsements from your friends, but nothing from you," he observed, "What is it that _you_ want, Sokka?"

"To train under a master," the young warrior declared fervently, "To be the best."

The sword master's brows rose thoughtfully as Sokka's response. "You mean you're not the best already?" he inquired with a measure of sardonic surprise.

Sokka dipped his head humbly. "No, I'm not the best. I still have a lot to learn."

"That's a fine answer."

Surprised blue eyes crashed to Piandao's face. "It is?"

"The first step towards achieving true greatness begins with humility," Piandao said, "You have taken that first step, Sokka. I will train you."

"Really?" Sokka squealed with childish glee, "Oh, thank you, Master Piandao! Thank you! Thank you!"

"But bear in mind what I mentioned before," Piandao cautioned, "I expect full commitment from you."

"He's committed," the group answered in a simultaneous rush of enthusiasm before Sokka could even open his mouth to provide affirmation.

Piandao smiled. "Good. We begin today."

****

Two weeks later Sokka was absolutely sure he'd never be able to lift his arms again or, worse yet, that they would fall off entirely.

At present, he leaned heavily against the large lion-turtle sculpture in the center of Piandao's garden and struggled to catch his second wind. His shoulders ached and the muscles in his back burned. Every breath was like fire in his lungs. He felt like he was going to throw up. But, less than six feet away, his master watched his sparring match with Fat keenly and for that reason Sokka was determined not to give into his body's demands for rest. Still, even with Fat poised defensively less than six feet away, Sokka could not coax himself into enough the frenzied energy needed to attack his opponent.

"Need a break?" Piandao taunted from the sidelines, "I can instruct Fat to go easier on you if that will help. Perhaps the set I've chosen is too advanced for you."

Sokka's pride rebelled at the thought of appearing weak before Piandao, especially where Fat was concerned. He was the younger and stronger of the two and yet, for all his agility, Sokka had to push himself to the limit just to keep up with the older man. He hoped sincerely that fact had bypassed his master's attention because the fifteen year old wanted desperately to win the man's approval. It seemed that he had already proven a comical failure in nearly every task his master had given him thus far. His performance in the calligraphy and landscaping lessons had left much to be desired. Sokka didn't want to prove himself a pathetic sparring partner as well.

Though it took reserves of strength he hadn't even known he had, the Water Tribe warrior managed to lift his wooden sword and pin his opponent with a defiant glare. "I'm ready."

Lip curled in challenge, Fat charged him, brandishing his makeshift sword with fluid efficiency. His movements were quick and precise. Sokka had no choice but to go on the defensive, blocking Fat's darting strokes in sharp, twisting angles. The clacks of their wooden weapons echoed in his ears and through the courtyard. He and Fat locked swords, shifting their weight against one another in a back and forth motion, vying for the upper hand. In a surprising burst of might, Sokka threw Fat backwards, momentarily upsetting the older man's balance.

Sokka seized the opportunity to put Fat on the defensive, aggressively stalking his opponent in a series of thrusts and parries. Quickly regaining his footing, Fat met him blow for blow. Sokka made a concentrated swing at the older man's leg, but Fat deftly avoided the assault and pivoted around Sokka so that he was behind him. He swung his sword wide, hoping to make contact with the side of Sokka's neck and effectively end the duel. Sokka had different plans. He deftly weaved from beneath the strike, elbowing Fat in the ribs as he did and sending the manservant back in a breathless stumble.

"Excellent, Sokka!" Piandao commended from the sidelines, "Very resourceful!"

The compliment provoked Fat's aggravated growl and he came barreling at Sokka once more. His upswing was immediately parried by a circular block of Sokka's wooden blade. They stalked one another around the perimeter of the garden, attacking and retreating, retreating and attacking. The battle seemed to stretch on for ages, until their limbs began to feel like jelly and their movements began to gradually slow.

Hoping to end the match quickly in light of his lagging strength, Fat seized an opportunity to make a forward thrust towards Sokka's chest. The younger man reacted with stunning reflexes. Twisting out from in front of the blow, Sokka caught the underside of Fat's wrist in an unexpected move, loosening his opponent's hold on his sword so that it went flying across the courtyard.

Shocked, the manservant raised his arms in defeat as Sokka brought the blunted tip of his sword to the base of Fat's throat, thereby ending their duel. They remained in that position, gazes focused and panting for breath until Piandao's applause sounded in their ears. Sokka finally relaxed his body then. It took an act of stubborn will not to collapse to his knees.

"Well done," his master said upon approach, "You've made quite a bit of progress and in a very short amount of time. I'm impressed."

Sokka stared at him with astonished eyes. "You are?" He flailed about for a proper response, but eventually settled with, "But…but Master, I've failed at practically every task you've given me. I can't imagine what I've done to impress you."

"You've shown more heart and courage and versatility than men three times your age," Piandao told him, "You are driven and highly intelligent. All of these are necessary qualities if you wish to become an accomplished swordsman. You're well on your way. And, because you have made such marked progress, I think you're ready for your own sword now."

His pupil practically wilted in astonishment then and there. "I am?"

Piandao inclined his head in a confirming nod. "You are." The sword master smiled at his pupil proudly. "Choosing the correct material is the most important step in crafting a sword because you must trust the chosen steel with your life. Consider your choice carefully, Sokka, because now…the really hard part begins."

Sokka was so excited over the prospect of forging his own sword, however, that the last of that statement didn't even make an impact until long after his master had disappeared into the house. At that point, his grin became a pouting scowl. He collapsed to the ground with a whimpering groan of dread while Fat snickered in satisfaction.

****

The time that they spent at Piandao's compound practically flew by.

While Sokka trained with Master Piandao, Zuko sparred with his own masters, honing his skills for the upcoming battle. Though the comet was still a month away, the teens were well aware that they had to use their time wisely. Invasion forces were already mobilizing in several key locations in the Earth Kingdom in preparation for the Day of Black Sun. They needed to be ready as well. Consequently, they trained night and day with very few breaks in between. The grueling pace helped to keep the Invasion foremost in their minds.

And because it was, Aang couldn't help but wonder what would become of his sister when Zuko finally confronted her. He decided to address his concerns one day during a rather intense training session with the group in Piandao's garden. "So what are you going to do when you finally face Azula?" he asked his friend frankly.

After waterbending Aang's exploding fire blast into huge, harmless puffs of wafting steam, Zuko straightened and pondered the question for a moment. "I…I actually haven't decided," he said finally.

His response distracted Suki so much that she threw one of her fans askew. It whizzed over their heads before lodging in the sturdy stalk of surrounding bamboo trees. She barely acknowledged Zuko and Aang's disgruntled complaining because she was too busy demanding, "What do you mean you haven't decided?" She wasn't the only one to be taken aback by his admission either. Toph and Katara also dropped their stances.

"What are you talking about? Azula's too dangerous to be left alive," Toph advised.

"She'd never stop coming after you," Katara warned.

Zuko looked over to Aang for advice, acutely aware that the Firebender had yet to weigh in with his opinion at all. "What do you think?" he asked, "She's _your_ sister."

Hardly prepared to find himself in the middle of an impassioned debate, Aang ran his fingers nervously through his short tufts of dark brown hair. "Toph has a point," he hedged, "Azula _is_ dangerous."

"That's not an answer," Zuko retorted.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Aang threw back defensively.

"You don't want her dead, do you?" Zuko surmised, easily concluding what his friend had left unspoken.

"I don't want to ask you to do something I'm not willing to do myself," was Aang's vague response, which left Zuko grunting and Katara frowning. "In the end, you have to make the choice that's right for you, Zuko."

"It's not as if Azula is going to give him much of a choice," Katara considered. "We all know how relentless and driven she is. She won't stop hunting Zuko, _hunting all of us_ unless someone stops her…_permanently_. I know it sounds awful, but…there's no other choice for us."

"But there's been so much death and destruction already," Zuko reasoned in a despondent tone. "It's been _too_ much and I've contributed more than enough to that. No more. There _has_ to be a better way."

"I agree with Zuko," Aang said, "The world has had more than 100 years of violence. It seems wrong to end that bloody era with yet more violence. Besides, if he kills Azula, he runs the risk of making her into a martyr for her supporters. That's the last thing we want."

"No offense, Aang," Katara interjected almost reluctantly, "but you're not exactly the most objective person when it comes to this subject. Every time you soften your heart towards Azula, she takes advantage of you and you almost get killed for your trouble. You shown her enough mercy," she finished with a determined scowl, "She doesn't deserve anymore from you."

"But there's not supposed to be a cap on mercy, Katara," Zuko argued, "The monks taught me that mercy is always a gift because, most of the time, the people to whom you extend it have done nothing to _deserve_ it. If I snuffed out Azula's life because she refuses to comply with me, just as she does to people who refuse to comply with her, what makes us different?"

"Um…because you're good and she's bad?" Toph ventured sardonically.

"Good and bad are relative terms," Zuko replied, "As far as Azula's supporters are concerned, _I'm_ bad and _she's_ good. There are some people who feel like the Avatar abandoned the world and that the Firelord was the only one who cared about uniting it. We all know that perception isn't true, but everyone has their own perspective. It all depends which side of the conflict you stand on. But I'm trying to consider people on _both_ sides of the conflict, because my responsibility as Avatar is to _everyone_."

"So you're planning to try to take Azula alive?" Toph snorted, "Well, good luck with that."

Zuko sighed, clearly struggling with the decisions that lay ahead of him. No matter how black and white the situation seemed to his friends, he knew it was a great deal more complicated than that. "Guys, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing," he said, "I want to be sure that when I finally face Azula, whatever punishment I deal out will be justice and not revenge." He darted a look around at his friends. "What happened to Mai in Ba Sing Se is never far from my mind. It takes all the determination I have not to hate Azula for it."

"But what's wrong with hating her?" Suki wondered, "She took away someone you cared about! She's tried to kill you and your friends on numerous occasions. You're entitled to hate her."

"It's not that simple, Suki," Zuko muttered, "I have to do what's best for the world and, in order to do that, my personal needs can't factor into this at all." He squared his shoulders, his expression resolved. "I need to meditate on this for a while. When we go into battle, I need to know what I'm going to do."

"But I thought we were training!" Toph complained. "Suki, Aang, Katara and I were about to quadruple team your skinny butt! We were going to take you down!"

"We'll pick up in an hour or so," Zuko promised before tacking on rather arrogantly, "Then you can give it your best shot."

"What now?" Suki asked after he was gone.

"We could go watch Sokka get _his_ butt kicked," Toph suggested, "That's sure to be entertaining."

As they started towards the hedge maze which led off to where Sokka was training with Master Piandao, Katara waylaid Aang. "You're not mad at me, are you?" she asked him.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because of what I said earlier…" she clarified meekly, "You know…about Azula?"

Aang lifted his shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. "It was true, wasn't it?"

"But you were so quiet afterwards," Katara prompted, "I didn't mean to make you feel like you couldn't have a say. It's just, when it comes to your sister sometimes, you're…you're…"

"Biased?"

"Maybe not that," Katara replied, "But definitely too compassionate. It's obvious that you don't see her the way the rest of us do."

"That's probably true," Aang admitted, "When Azula and I were younger, before the competition for our father's approval drove a wedge between us, we were actually like brother and sister. It was a long, long time ago, but…we were playmates once. I taught her how to swim and how to dance. When she presented with firebending skill, I was the first person to see it. She was so tiny and fearless back then and I wanted to protect her. I can still remember that feeling and I don't know why it changed." His eyes darkened wistfully. "I look at you and Sokka and I envy the relationship you have and I wonder…" He released a serrated breath, vibrating with emotion. "I _did_ have a sister once and my memory of her is the only family I have left. Maybe part of me just isn't ready to give up on the idea that she's gone completely. Can you understand that, Katara?"

"Yeah, of course I can," Katara replied in a throaty whisper as she pulled him into a tight hug, "I understand."

****

Azula pressed her face to the cool, gritty bars of Ty Lee's cell. "Make Mai stop talking to me."

Her harsh whisper jarred Ty Lee from her restless sleep. She opened her eyes to discover Azula staring down at her with a wild and glazed look. Her neat, immaculately kept hair tumbled across her eyes and face in tangled disarray. She was clad in her crimson dressing gown, grasping the wide collared neck closed with one tight fist while she gripped the cell bars with the other. The dark circles beneath her eyes testified to the fact that she hadn't slept a wink. Ty Lee wondered vaguely if Azula had been kept awake by the frequent tremors shaking throughout the city as she had.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the backs of her grimy hands, Ty Lee yawned, "What are you doing here, Azula?"

"She won't let me sleep," Azula ground out anxiously, "Tell her to go. She'll listen to you."

"Tell who to go?"

Azula's eyes sparkled with a fanatic light. "Mai," she breathed in a dramatic whisper.

The revelation had Ty Lee pursing her lips in an "oh" of surprise. She could think of only one reason why Azula would be "seeing" Mai. Evidently, Azula felt guilty and her conscience, which had been silent for so long, was now finally choosing to revolt. Ty Lee was strangely elated by the realization because she knew if her friend was feeling guilt the Azula she knew and cared for still existed.

"You see Mai?" Ty Lee prodded carefully. "Where? When?"

Azula reared back at the questions, belatedly recognizing how insane she must look and sound. Her pride rebelled. She snapped erect and surged to her feet, her expression carefully guarded. "Of course, I don't see Mai," she snapped defensively, quickly back-pedaling, "Mai is dead. Mai is dead." She repeated the words to convince herself as much as Ty Lee.

"Are you okay, Azula?" Ty Lee asked slowly as the young Empress began to pace the confined space in front of her cell.

The question elicited a mocking scoff from the young Empress. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"You seem…I don't know…kinda restless," Ty Lee ventured, "It's the middle of the night, isn't it?"

"How would you know?" Azula demanded harshly, "There's no sun down here! You don't know! You don't know anything!"

"You're still in your pajamas," Ty Lee pointed out carefully.

Azula cast an amazed stare down the length of her body, as if just realizing that fact. "So I am…" she murmured.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ty Lee asked, "I'm worried about you."

Her statement received a short, scoffing laugh in response. "Do you take me for some kind of fool?" Azula hissed.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Ty Lee insisted sincerely, "Your aura is full of all these crazy colors right now."

"My aura?"

"It's usually black or…or sometimes red," Ty Lee revealed softly.

Her answer initially left Azula too speechless to even formulate a response. Throughout the years past, she had only half listened when Ty Lee babbled on about auras and the like, _but_ she had listened well enough to know that bright colors were positive while usually dark colors were not. She stopped short and stared at Ty Lee with wide eyes. Finally, in a rare show of vulnerability, Azula asked, "Has it always been like that…my aura?"

"Not always," Ty Lee answered, "But after your mom…yeah…_especially_ after that…"

It was a secret that they had rarely spoke of or even referenced during their decades long friendship. Azula had confessed the truth to Ty Lee long ago and then promptly ordered her to forget. For Azula, revealing the truth had merely been an unburdening, not a quest for justice…or so she had thought at the time. Whatever her motivations had been, Azula had made it clear that she wanted the circumstances surrounding her mother's disappearance to remain a mystery. In fact, she had been so adamant about it that there had been times when Ty Lee thought that Azula truly believed the public story her father had spun for the masses. Ty Lee supposed that lying to herself was the only way in which Azula could cope.

And while Azula's reasoning had always been unclear to her, Ty Lee had never judged her. When Azula had solicited her promise, she had gladly given it. She had never spoken a word of it to another living soul, not even when her conscience cried out for her to do so…not even when she could see how much Ursa's "desertion" grieved her son.

She did it for Azula. But she had never forgotten the secret nor had she forgotten how profoundly changed it had left her friend. No one had known the reason for the drastic transformation in Azula, but Ty Lee did and, because she did, she sympathized. Even when Azula was at her most merciless, Ty Lee had never been able to abandon her completely, even when sometimes…she truly _wanted_ to.

Azula released a shuddering breath. "And you were still my friend despite all of that?" she surmised softly, "You've always known I wasn't a good person, yet you don't seem to care."

"You're Azula," Ty Lee replied simply. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I couldn't accept you the way that you are." Azula said nothing to that, but continued to regard Ty Lee with a clenched jaw. "I'm still your friend and I know you," she went on, "Being Empress isn't at all what you expected it to be, is it?"

"I am the greatest ruler in the world!" Azula flared indignantly, "I don't expect to have my decisions questioned!"

"Are they?"

"I'm surrounded by fools! There's no one I can trust! No one who _deserves_ it!" Azula blew out a scornful snort, muttering under her breath, "Trust is for fools! It's overrated."

"No, power is overrated. Trust gives you the strength and courage to go on because you know there's someone there to help you if you fall."

The advice was sage and simple, but Azula didn't seem to hear her at all. Instead, she babbled on to herself almost maniacally, as if she'd forgotten Ty Lee was even in the room. "I hear their whispers," she confessed in an agitated tone, "They think I don't hear them, but I do. They don't think I'm fit to rule. How dare they question my authority when _I_ made them?" She dragged a shaking hand through her unkempt hair. "I shouldn't have to do it alone," she mumbled, "That's why I sent for Mother. I thought she would help me, but she won't come. They all come to me. They won't let me sleep…but she won't." She stared at Ty Lee with glistening eyes. "I wish I could trust people."

"You can trust me, Azula," Ty Lee reassured her, "_I'm still your friend_."

It was clearly evident that Azula wanted to believe that. She was lonely and desperate and literally going out of her mind and she needed to believe there was someone in her corner…someone who cared. But she could not bring herself to reach out. She was like a feral animal that had been abused and mistreated for the majority of its life. Azula couldn't accept kindness now. It was beyond her to understand, let alone trust, another person's goodwill. She could only strike out and bare her teeth.

"You're a ridiculous fool!" she spat at Ty Lee, "And so very transparent! You'll say anything to get out of this hole. But you will _never_ get out! This is your home now. As long as there is breath in me, you'll rot here!"

After Azula had stormed out, leaving the cell block empty and gray in her wake, Ty Lee was imbued with a fierce determination. She _would_ escape, not necessarily to help herself, however. Whether she stayed in prison or not, Ty Lee knew she would be okay. She had an inner strength and resilience that no one could take from her. Instead, her need to escape was all about Azula.

Ty Lee wanted to save _her_.

****

The muffled commotion outside Aang's bedchamber startled him awake. Groggy and uncoordinated, he stumbled from bed and shuffled his way over to the door to peer out into the hallway. It was dark in the corridor save for the single candle Master Piandao held in his hand. His other was being used to steady the man who was leaned against him heavily and shrouded with a coarse, brown cloak. It looked as if Piandao was struggling to keep him upright, which accounted for the thuds Aang had heard from inside his bedroom. He started forward to offer his assistance when he caught snippets of their conversation.

"…wake him now. He'll want to see you," Piandao was saying.

"And I want to see him, but it's late and he needs his rest," the man argued tiredly. "I don't want to disturb him."

Aang frowned in disbelief as the voice reached his ears. "Uncle Iroh?"

The two men lurched around at the sound of Aang's voice and, the moment they did, Aang went completely white when his suspicions were confirmed. Piandao smiled. "I'd say it's too late for that, Iroh," he remarked to Iroh wryly, "He's clearly disturbed."

"You…you're supposed to be dead," Aang stammered helplessly.

Unbelievably, Iroh smiled at that. "I hope you're not too disappointed."

The former Fire Nation general hadn't even finished the sentence before his nephew was gripping him in a tight, tearful hug. The embrace was incredibly painful given that he was still healing from the injuries he'd received in Ba Sing Se, but Iroh would not have ended it for the world. Piandao, however, noticed the sudden blanching in Iroh's features and was a bit more cautious. "Careful with your uncle," he advised Aang gently, "He's still healing."

Though it took monumental effort, Aang somehow managed to let go. He turned an accusing look towards the sword master. "Did you know he was alive?" he demanded sharply.

"Don't be angry with him," Iroh soothed before Piandao could defend himself, "He didn't know anything until I showed up on his doorstep tonight needing a place to rest and heal."

Mollified and deflated of his quick burst of anger, Aang mumbled a quick apology to Piandao and hugged his uncle again, more gently this time. "I don't even care," he mumbled, "I'm just glad you're alright." He pulled back to look his uncle over again, taking in every minute detail of Iroh's appearance. He looked paler and a bit thinner, but in admirable health considering the circumstances.

"How badly are you hurt? How did you get here? Why did you send Suki after me in Ba Sing Se? What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?" Aang fired the questions one after the other, giving Iroh very little opportunity to respond until he'd exhausted himself.

"I know you have a lot of questions and I promise I will answer them all," Iroh sighed, "But first you must answer a question for me…" He reached up to lightly pat the newly healed side of Aang's face. "When did this happen?"

"It's a long story…" Aang replied, made curiously self-conscious by Iroh's avid perusal.

"And lucky for you both he has all night," Piandao interjected. "Come. Let's make your uncle comfortable and then the two of you can catch up."


	54. Chapter Fifty Three

**Chapter Fifty-Three**

He stood for a moment watching her, admiring the way her heavy, green robes swished across her ankles as she folded and flexed with elegant, circular motions. Dappled in the early morning sun, with the rays reflecting off her fans in gilded flashes of light and her expression set with single-minded concentration, Suki almost looked ethereal…like a reincarnation of Kyoshi herself. The corner of Sokka's mouth tilted up in a besotted smile.

"I think I missed the face paint."

Having heard him moving across the swaying grass long before he'd ever spoken, Suki didn't jump when she heard his voice. She relaxed her stance and pivoted to face him with a wide smile. However, her smile faltered a bit when she got a full view of Sokka in face paint as well. "Is this for my benefit?" she teased a second later when she recovered, "You shouldn't have."

"Actually, this is a tradition where I come from," Sokka explained. "In the South Pole, we do this in preparation for battle."

"But the battle is still two days away," Suki reminded him, "Isn't it a bit early to be streaking your face with war paint?"

He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Today we leave to meet my dad at the rendezvous point. As far as I'm concerned, the moment we do that the battle begins. It seemed appropriate."

Suki compressed her lips in a solemn smile. "I know. You don't have to explain to me."

She closed the small distance between them so that she could inspect his handiwork at close range. The makeup was a stark change, but somehow it seemed in keeping with the lightweight, black battle armor that had replaced his usual blue tunic. Wide patches of gray and black face paint had transformed Sokka from the genial, lovable goofball she'd come to know into someone fierce and intimidating. Even his eyes seemed to gleam with banked fire. Suki was both repelled and intrigued by the change.

Her breath suspended, Suki carefully ran her fingertips along the line of his jaw, mindful not to smudge what he'd done. "Nice work," she murmured.

"Thanks," he murmured back.

"I just realized that I don't know much about your traditions at all, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe," Suki said thoughtfully, "We're going to have to change that very soon."

"Hopefully, we'll get the opportunity."

His grim response wrung a self-conscious laugh from Suki. "Is that your not-so-subtle way of asking me _never_ to break up with you?"

Sokka didn't smile at her teasing. If anything, he became even more somber. "Suki, it's entirely possible that one or _both_ of us may not make it back. This might be our last opportunity to say the things we need to say to each other."

She instantly recoiled at his answer. Suki knew better than to laugh off his concerns though part of her wanted to. She didn't _want_ to take him seriously. She didn't want to contemplate the possibility of never seeing him again. She didn't want to know Zuko's pain.

Turning away under the pretense of gathering together her fans in the hope she could conceal the anguished dismay her thoughts caused her, Suki asked in a hoarsened tone, "Where is this coming from, Sokka?"

"I've been thinking about this for weeks," he admitted, "I just didn't say anything."

His epiphany had been slow and gradual, one that had dawned on him during his rigorous training with Master Piandao. Daily, Sokka would rise early, even before the sun had begun to peek over the horizon, in order to begin his master's strict regimen, which included exercises in sharpening his mind and developing an acute awareness of his surroundings. Piandao hadn't merely taught him the skill of the sword. He had taught Sokka valuable survival skills. The work had been draining and yet inarguably satisfying.

However, in the beginning, Sokka hadn't truly contemplated the magnitude of what he was learning. He saw his training with Piandao as merely honing a skill, strengthening himself as a warrior. He had wanted to be on par with his friends, as impressive with the sword as they were with their bending. Yet, as the days he'd spent within Piandao's compound progressed into weeks and the weeks blended into a month, Sokka began to understand that what he was learning was no mere skill meant to dazzle and impress. In essence, he was learning how to dispatch an enemy quickly and efficiently before _he_ could be dispatched.

There was a certain amount of responsibility a man accepted when he took a sword into his hand. The choice of life and death was set before him. Suddenly for Sokka, it was no longer his endeavor to simply be the best. No. He wanted more than that. He wanted to carry himself as a soldier, with reverence and honor and with the full knowledge of what had been placed in his hands.

The forging of his sword had been a rite of passage for Sokka. Though his friends were more than a little interested in the process, he had insisted on doing it alone and they had respected his wishes. The metal work had taken him twice as long as normal because he had been working with an unusual material. Only a week or so after they'd arrived at Piandao's, a meteor shower had fallen over the town. The chunk of space rock that Sokka had taken as his souvenir had now become his sword.

He cherished that sword, just as he cherished the knowledge he'd acquired. He felt proud of all he had accomplished, but he was also filled with realistic dread for what was to come. That dread had caused him to consider not only his future, but his relationship with Suki in a more serious light.

Sokka contemplated the stiffened line of Suki's back and expelled a long sigh. "I know you don't want to talk about this," he acknowledged quietly, "but I think we should."

"Why should we?" Suki flashed, whirling on him, "You're a capable warrior and so am I! If we stay alert and keep our eyes open, nothing is going to happen!"

"Suki, you can't know that," Sokka reasoned.

"Are you acting this way because I decided not to go with you into the Fire Nation?" she demanded suddenly. He didn't answer, but the flicker in his expression spoke volumes. Immediately, her temper boiled over. Suki mentally counted to ten before she made a reply. "Sokka, I've already explained this to you. The Earth Kingdom is my home. I feel it's my responsibility to help reclaim it. I thought you understood this. You were all for it when Toph announced that _she_ was going to Ba Sing Se with General Iroh! So where's your support for my decision?"

"Toph isn't my girlfriend. _You_ are!" That remark earned Sokka a seething scowl before Suki began randomly inspecting her arms, legs and torso. Sokka surveyed her with a bewildered glower. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for the brand that says 'property of Sokka,'" Suki replied tartly, "I must have missed it this morning when I was getting dressed!"

"That is _not_ how I'm treating you," Sokka denied, clearly offended that she would even _imply_ he was being possessive.

Suki, however, was not cowed. "In denial much? What had you cheering for Toph has you giving me the 'doom and gloom' speech. It's not fair!"

"Okay, you're right! It's not!" Sokka snapped, "I don't like the idea of us separating and I'm worried, Suki. Why does that make me a terrible person?"

"It doesn't make you a terrible person, but you need to relax and trust me," she sighed, her aggravation with him slowly leaking from her body with the expulsion of air. "I don't want you to think that just because I'm out of your sight something horrible is going to happen."

"It's happened before."

"Then come with me," Suki suggested impulsively, "Taking back Ba Sing Se won't be an easy task. Most of the rebel forces will be in the Fire Nation fighting, so we'll need all the support we can get."

"I…I can't," Sokka refused with a great deal of reluctance, "I need to stay with Zuko."

"He has Aang and Katara. He's not going to be without support, Sokka."

"You don't understand," he replied with a shake of his head, "We've been together since the beginning. I started this journey with Zuko and…and I have to finish it with him."

Suki hunched forward in disappointment, both admiring the commitment he'd made and resenting it a little as well. "Then I guess we're at an impasse."

"I don't want us to be," Sokka whispered hoarsely. "What if this is the last time I see you, Suki?"

"Don't talk like that," Suki admonished him, "You can't go into battle with that kind of pessimistic thinking!"

"It's not pessimistic, it's _realistic_! I've lost someone before, remember? I know it happens. And even if I'd forgotten what that feels like, _which I haven't_, I'd only have to look to Zuko for a reminder."

"Sokka, I'm not Yue." The words were little more than a whisper and yet they caused the space between the couple to positively crackle with tension. "I'm not saying that she was weak or anything," Suki went on to explain, "but I'm a warrior. I've been trained for this kind of thing since I was a young girl and I'm highly skilled at what I do."

"Mai was skilled too," Sokka reminded her, "and we see how well that ended."

"That's not fair," Suki mumbled again.

"I'm not _trying_ to be unfair to you," Sokka insisted, "And, despite what you're thinking, I'm not trying to change your mind either. I understand why you need to go with General Iroh to Ba Sing Se and I respect your decision."

"Then what is this all about?" she cried.

"Things can change quickly," Sokka replied solemnly, "I didn't want to leave anything unspoken between us."

"What's unspoken?"

"Love," he answered in a rush. Sokka took another deep breath, deciding he should probably make his confession before they degenerated into a full-fledged fight. "I love you, okay!" he blurted, "I thought you should know."

That was it. No picnic by the water. No rhapsodizing and romantic poetry. No flowers and kisses and sweet whispers. Instead, she received a hasty admission that was given almost with an air of annoyance and a definite eye roll and…Suki couldn't have been more touched.

Her throat closed with emotion, preventing her immediate response, which immediately made Sokka regret his frustrated tone. Mistaking her silence for displeasure, he said rather sheepishly, "Maybe I could have said that a bit better, but—,"

She threw her arms around his neck, knocking the wind from him as well as his babbling apology, and tackled him to the ground. The hilt of his sword jutted between them uncomfortably, but Suki didn't seem to mind as she peppered his face with kisses. Sokka stared up at her, dumbfounded. "Er…you mean you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?" Suki whispered in tearful amazement, "That was the best thing you've ever said to me."

"It is?"

"I…I never let myself expect it, you know?" Suki stammered candidly. "I mean, I knew you wanted to be with me and I knew I made you happy, but I never let myself imagine that you could feel about me the way that you felt…the way you _feel_ about Yue."

Her reply left Sokka frowning. He swung upright, giving Suki little choice but to sit up as well. "Is that really what you think?" he whispered.

"Are you going to deny that you're still in love with her?" Suki challenged softly.

"Yes, I still love Yue," Sokka confirmed, "I'm always going to love her, but I'm not _in love_ with her anymore. You're not second place in my heart, Suki. You're just in a different part of it. I'm with you now, _all_ of me, and when I am the pain isn't as bad. I smile and I laugh and I feel like a whole person. I feel like I know where I am and I know where I'm going. I'm not with you because Yue isn't here. I'm with you because I'm where I want to be…where I belong."

Suki had to bite her lower lip to still the awful trembling. For a second time, she was left without words, but this time, she leaned in close to kiss him softly, lingering near the corner of his mouth much the way she'd done the first time she'd kissed him. "I take it back," she whispered huskily.

"Take what back?"

"The 'I love you' was the _second_ best thing you've ever said to me." He couldn't help but laugh at that. "And Sokka?"

"Yeah?" he replied as he framed her face in preparation for another kiss.

"I love you too."

****

Iroh's disconcerted grunt startled the two lovers.

Aang and Katara broke their nuzzling kiss and swiveled around to regard the retired Fire Nation general with sheepish smiles. Iroh smiled back in return. "I didn't mean to intrude," he murmured in unspoken apology, "I'll come back later and then we can have a nice, long chat, nephew."

However, when he turned to leave, Katara surged to her feet and called out from behind for him to stay. When Iroh turned to face her again, she said, "You and Aang will be saying your goodbyes soon. You should spend as much time as you can together." Aang reached out to grab hold of her hand and give her fingers a grateful squeeze.

"It wasn't my intention to run you off," Iroh told Katara as she began gathering together her things so that she could leave them alone.

"I don't mind. You're not 'running me off,'" she reassured him, "I _want_ to do this."

Once Katara had gone, Iroh bestowed his nephew with an approving smile and moved into the seat she had recently vacated. "She's a fine young woman," he commended Aang, "You chose well, nephew."

"_She_ chose _me_, Uncle," Aang corrected in an amazed tone, "But I'm in complete agreement on the 'fine young woman' part."

Iroh laughed, but his mirth soon died away and was replaced with quiet solemnity. He stretched his hand across the space between them to pat Aang's knee. "I suppose the time has come for us to say goodbye again and when it seems we've only just said hello," he declared reluctantly, "We've been doing quite a bit of that lately. It seems our destinies are leading us in separate directions now."

"Yeah, I noticed," Aang mumbled with a dark scowl, "and I don't like it at all."

"This _is_ a part of growing up," his uncle said, "It's a good thing. I wasn't going to be at your side forever, Aang."

"I never expected that. But I would have been happy to have a few more years together, at least," Aang muttered, "I'm not ready to live my life without you, Uncle."

"I'm not dying," Iroh boomed with a hearty laugh, "and I'm not abandoning you. But you're a man now and you have to stand on your own two feet."

"What if I'm not ready? What if I make the wrong choices?"

Iroh smiled. "Then you'll find a way to live with them and make them right."

"I don't know…" Aang said after a lengthy pause, "I'm scared, not necessarily for myself, but for you. You're still recovering from your injury. You should be resting, not marching into battle! What if you're hurt again? What if you don't recover this time? I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."

"Death is a destiny that none of us can avoid," his uncle murmured, "and if it's my time, then it's my time."

"But, Uncle, I—,"

"You shouldn't worry. Remember, I taught you all that you know and I can care for myself very well. Besides that, I won't be alone," he assured Aang, "Pakku, Piandao and Jeong Jeong will be at my side the entire time, not to mention your friends. I have very powerful allies, my nephew. We _will_ take back Ba Sing Se."

"I don't doubt it, but I don't understand why _you_ have to go personally," Aang lamented, "I'm sure Piandao and the others can reclaim it without you, but I'm not sure _I_ can do this without you. It's…it's going to be hard facing Azula, especially after Father."

"Yes, I heard of my brother's death," Iroh acknowledged grimly. "I haven't yet decided how I feel about it."

"Me either," Aang confessed in a suffocated tone. "I don't know how I feel about Azula either. I'm so confused, Uncle. Don't you see? I need you with me."

"I know what you're trying to do and you're not as clever as you think you are," Iroh chided him, "Aang, you cannot be afraid to let go. Sometimes the tighter you hold on to something, the quicker you will lose it. I will not go with you to the Fire Nation because I know I would be nothing more than a distraction to you."

"I want to take care of you the way you've taken care of me," Aang countered.

"No, you want to control the future and you can't," his uncle returned knowingly. His answer caused frustrated tears to spring to Aang's eyes, partly because Iroh was brushing aside his concerns and partly because the old man had guessed his true motives. But when he would have turned away to pout, Iroh laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Aang," he began patiently, coaxing the sullen boy's eyes back to his own, "When I was a young boy, no older than you, I used to believe that it was my destiny to destroy Ba Sing Se and I lived my life in accordance with that destiny. But I was wrong. I'm older and wiser now and I realize it is my destiny to _restore_ it. I must do this, just as you must help the Avatar end the war." Though it took concerted effort and he was grieved to do so, Aang managed a consenting nod. "Besides, you don't have time to worry about me," Iroh continued lightly, "I suspect you'll have much bigger problems on your hands than your old uncle soon enough."

"Problems like what?"

"New relationships can be a difficult thing, especially when it involves young love," Iroh imparted sagely, "You and Katara are from very different backgrounds. That might cause some problems for you both later."

"We've already discussed that," Aang replied. "We know that not everyone will accept us, but we're prepared to face it together."

"You both are very courageous, but what about living in the Fire Nation?" Iroh considered. "That won't be easy. I imagine that will be quite an adjustment for her. Have you two discussed how that will work? I'm not trying to discourage you, but these are things you must consider. If you haven't, then you need to, especially if you plan to be married."

"_Married?_" Aang balked, "Wait! Stop right there, Uncle Iroh! Katara and I _aren't _getting married! I mean, I'd like to and I…I've thought about it but… No. _No!_ We're nowhere ready for that step yet. It's still a few years off, I think."

"It never hurts to make plans for the future, nephew," Iroh advised, "When you become Firelord, the relationship you have with Katara will be bound to meet with some challenges. You'd do well to prepare yourself." His wisdom was met with a glum sigh. Iroh frowned. "That's not quite the reaction I was expecting," he said, "You're not unsure about your feelings, are you?"

"No! Not at all," Aang refuted vehemently, "I love Katara! I'm absolutely sure of that."

"Then what is it?"

"I…I'm not so sure I want to be Firelord!" Aang blurted, adding before he lost his nerve completely, "In fact, I _know_ I don't want to be!" A stunned silence followed his declaration. Though Iroh's expression remained inscrutable, his stare was so intense that Aang couldn't help but fidget. The longer he sat there quietly, the more nervous Aang became. The young prince gulped audibly. "I realize this is a shock…"

"That's not quite the word I was thinking," Iroh replied carefully.

"I'm not being lazy," Aang rushed out fervidly, "and I'm not afraid to become Firelord. This isn't about wanting to avoid my responsibilities. I still want to liberate the Fire Nation and help Zuko restore balance to the world, but I think I can better do that if I'm _not_ on the throne. But besides that, it doesn't belong to me and it never has. The Fire Nation crown should revert back to the rightful heir…to you, Uncle Iroh."

"No, _you_ are the rightful heir," Iroh disputed, "It is your birthright."

"A birthright that was stolen from you. As the eldest son, the throne should have passed to you after Grandfather's death."

"At the time the decision was made, I was unavailable," Iroh explained vaguely, "Following my defeat in Ba Sing Se and the loss of my son, I could not be found and I didn't want to be. I was in a terrible state of grief and inconsolable. My father made the only choice he could."

"And I'm making _my_ choice," Aang said, "I won't take the throne. Our people need a leader who is wise and experienced and who is ready to shoulder the responsibilities that comes with being ruler of an entire nation. That's not _me_, Uncle Iroh. That's you."

"You give yourself far too little credit," Iroh admonished him. "Besides, you are only prolonging the inevitable, nephew. You _will_ be the next Firelord, whether now or following my death."

"Then I'll accept that responsibility when the time comes," Aang conceded, "But, for now, I plan to help take back what belongs to you and restore you to your rightful place. After all the sacrifices you've made for me, Uncle, please let me do this one thing for you."

Iroh shook his head, both in amazement and frustration over Aang's determination. "When did you become so stubborn?"

"A wise man taught me that some battles require a degree of stubbornness," Aang replied fondly.

"But you must be careful not to be stubborn about the wrong things," Iroh warned.

"I'm not wrong."

Delighted and overwhelmed by his answer, Iroh yanked Aang close for a tight embrace. "Promise me that you will be careful. Azula can be dangerous when she's cornered."

"I know. I'll be careful," Aang vowed when they parted. "Good luck to you, Uncle, and travel safely."

"You do the same."

****

Toph wasn't the least surprised when she found him meditating in the garden courtyard. He had been doing plenty of that lately and with the house so full of newly arrived White Lotus members, there were few places in the house where Zuko could acquire the quiet he needed. Considering that, Toph was reluctant to disturb him, but she was also well aware of how impatient Sokka became when he was kept waiting.

"Sokka, Aang and Katara are loaded up," she whispered, "Sokka wants to be sure you guys reach the rendezvous point before Chief Hakoda gets there. They're all waiting for you."

Though Zuko opened his eyes at Toph's softly spoken statement, he did not rise from his meditative position. "Could you give me a few more minutes?"

"Sure. I'll give you some more time, but don't blame me if Sokka comes tearing through here looking for your head."

"Toph, wait!" he called out as she started to turn away, "Could you stay with me?"

"Wow. You mean you _want_ me to bug you?" she teased as she dropped down beside him. "You must really be nervous."

"Shouldn't I be nervous?" Zuko countered darkly.

Nervously, he fiddled with the edges of his the new orange and red robe that Katara had fashioned for him from the remnants of his torn and scorched Air Nomad clothing. Though the robes weren't at all traditional or indicative of his nation and culture, especially considering he was wearing Fire Nation trousers and boots, Zuko felt closer to his people than he had in months. He felt that, when he finally faced the Firelord, he would be doing so as a true representative for his slain race. For that reason, as well as many others, Zuko felt he had very little room for error. "There's a lot riding on this," he told Toph, "If I fail…"

"Enough of that talk. You won't fail," Toph stated.

Her stunning conviction incurred Zuko's sharpened look of surprise. "You sound like you really believe that."

"Well, if you _do_ fail that's going to suck for everyone all around," Toph replied dryly, "So, I'm choosing to err on the side of optimism."

"Um…well, thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess," Zuko grumbled.

"Zuko, this is what you've been training for since the very start," Toph reasoned. "From the first moment I met you all you've been able to talk about was 'your destiny,' she recounted in a mocking rendition of him, "Now the time has finally come to face it head on and you sound like you're going to throw up all over yourself."

"Was I really that bad about the destiny thing?" Zuko pouted.

"You were worse, _but_…" Toph stressed, "…it was a good thing."

"How's that?" he asked in a disbelieving tone.

"I've never been worried," she revealed softly. "I've never been afraid. There's something about you that makes people confident, Zuko. It's like, if you believe you can do it, then there's no reason for doubt because you'll do it. That's just who you are."

It was, perhaps, the most genuine and heartfelt she had ever been. And, being that Toph had never been either, much less someone generous with her praise, Zuko couldn't help but be suspicious. "You think I'm going to get myself killed, don't you!" he accused her darkly, "Why else would you say all this stuff?"

"Um…because it's true?" Toph ventured with a laugh.

"I don't know if I trust you, Toph. You're never this nice unless you've done something evil. Just tell me what it is so I can freak out and get over it." His accusation earned him little more than a firm but playful punch to his upper arm, which only soured his disposition further. He yelped and scowled at her, rubbing at the tender spot. "Wow, way to be supportive!"

His disgruntled reaction only made her laugh. "Listen to me, Zuko," Toph began frankly, "I'm not shining you on. I _know_ you can do this. I believe in you. _Nothing_ trumps your stubborn will. I know you're going to end this war just because you've made up your mind to do it."

"But what if I'm not ready? What if what I'm capable of and what I _think_ I'm capable of are two different things?" he lamented. "You told me just the other day that my earthbending was sloppy. And I've been training with fire less than two months so I know I have a long way to go there! I still have so much more to learn!"

"Why do you always have to take stuff so personally?" Toph bemoaned. "I couldn't very well tell you that you're getting almost as good as me, now could I? It would have gone straight to your head and a Zuko in battle with a swelled head would not be a pretty sight. You'd be so arrogant none of us could stand it and then you probably _would_ get yourself killed."

"Do you really think that?"

"Okay, okay, you are a fully realized Avatar after all. So, maybe not killed," Toph conceded gamely, "but horrifically maimed? Definitely."

"No, I'm not talking about that," he huffed in an impatient tone, "I mean what you said about my earthbending! Do you really think I'm as good as you?"

"Don't presume. I said _almost_," she stressed, "And yeah, I think you're…talented. Azula won't know what hit her."

Zuko didn't realize how starved he'd been for her approval until he finally had it. He literally slumped forward in relief as a good deal of his anxiety leaked from his body. "I wish you'd change your mind about coming with us."

Toph fidgeted a bit with the admission. "I'm doing what I have to do. I've thought about this a long time and it seems like the right decision for me."

"But you should be with us," Zuko insisted stubbornly. "You _know_ you should."

"Don't fight me on this, Zuko," she countered, "I _am_ going to be with you…in spirit. You have to remember we're still fighting the same battle, even if we're in different parts of the world while we do."

Though he wanted to argue with her, Zuko decided not to. He wouldn't want anyone trying to change his mind if he believed he was doing the right thing and so he wouldn't attempt to do so with Toph. "I…I'm going to miss you," he confessed haltingly. "It won't be the same without you, Toph."

"Oh please," Toph snorted, "I've already been through this with Sugar Queen and Lotus Blossom. I thought there was hope with Sokka, but right after he clapped me on the back and said, 'have a nice trip,' he ruined it by hugging me! Blech. Please, not you too. My breakfast hasn't settled."

"I wouldn't dream of hugging you," Zuko snorted, "But I will do this."

He lightly shoved her in the shoulder. Predictably, she shoved him back. They grinned at each other in laughing approval. They were still laughing too when Zuko caught sight of Sokka coming over the ridge towards them. Immediately, the lighthearted atmosphere between them dissipated into one somber reserve. In that moment, both Zuko and Toph seemed to put away their youth, each prepared to face their destinies and responsibilities with an adult's stoicism and resolve.

"It's time for you to go, isn't it?" Toph surmised, sensing the vibrations that Sokka caused as he came towards them. She and Zuko dutifully rolled to her feet to greet him. As they did, Toph could sense Zuko's intense stare the whole time. "Don't tell me goodbye," she muttered quickly, "It will make this too hard."

"I won't," Zuko replied, "if you make me a promise."

"Name it."

"If we fail…if something happens—,"

Toph released a long-suffering sigh. "Didn't we already do this? Zuko, you won't—,"

"Hush up and listen a minute! I'm saying _if_ I do," he prefaced stubbornly, "Promise me you won't stop fighting until this war is over. I need to know that you won't stop, Toph."

In an impulsive and rare show of affection, Toph slipped her hand into Zuko's and gave his fingers a brief, but fortifying squeeze. "I promise," she whispered only moments before Sokka reached them, "I won't stop fighting."


	55. Chapter Fifty Four

**Chapter Fifty-Four**

"There's no one here," Zuko declared as they dismounted Appa.

His disgruntled observation was rather useless. Hakoda had chosen the rendezvous point specifically for its remote location. They were situated on the tip of a rugged bluff, concealed by a surrounding forest of trees and bordered by the pitching sea. Except for a nearby flock of koala-sheep, the clearing was silent and devoid of life, which was exactly the point.

However, that didn't keep Zuko from being noticeably aggravated. The young Avatar pushed the hood of his light, cotton cloak from his head and turned to face Sokka with a deep frown, anxiety already beating through his veins. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"These are the coordinates my dad sent me," Sokka assured him, "Besides, we're hours early. Relax, Zuko. Everything is going according to schedule."

"Dad should be here by the afternoon," Katara explained, "The plan is to move into position early tomorrow morning. You have to remember that he's coming with a very large force. It's going to take some finesse getting past the Fire Nation border patrols."

"But that won't be easy," Zuko argued, "What if he has trouble? How will we know? How will we help him?"

"You don't know my dad very well, do you, Zuko? He'll handle it because that's what he does. It'll be as easy as taking seal jerky from Momo," Sokka bragged, unaware that up in Appa's saddle; the aforementioned was taking _his_ seal jerky.

Aang removed the heavy breast plate covering his Fire Nation uniform and set aside so that he could walk over to inspect the koala-sheep unencumbered. Smiling, he stooped down and ran his fingers through their thick, coarse wool, oblivious to Momo's jealous chattering as he stroked them. "So what do we do in the meantime?" he asked his friends.

"Train," Zuko answered predictably.

"_Sleep_," Katara challenged, "We've got a huge day ahead of us. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've barely slept a wink the last few days."

"I agree with Katara," Sokka said, "I could use a nap, but after I eat. I haven't had anything since breakfast and I'm starving." Momo hopped onto his shoulder and chittered his agreement, despite having just gobbled down half a bag of seal jerky. "Besides," Sokka added, "I need something to help take my mind off of Suki and training won't cut it."

Aang regarded the three with a deadpan expression. "So did we actually decide anything just now?"

"Why does it have to be a vote at all?" Zuko demanded in a surly tone.

"Zuko, my dad will be here _this afternoon _and after that, _everything_ changes," Katara emphasized, "I think we should keep as low a profile as possible and try to relax a little."

"She has a point," Sokka interjected once more, "We could all use a break, _you_ included. We've been training practically nonstop for over a month. One night off isn't going to come down to life or death. And it will give me some extra time to work on Appa's armor. You don't want him going into battle naked, do you?"

"Fine," Zuko relented with an annoyed grunt, "Whatever. Take a break."

While Sokka and Katara busied themselves with unloading a few things from Appa's saddle, Aang plucked Zuko by the elbow, ignoring his friend's peeved grumbling, and led him over to a secluded place where they could talk privately. "What's going on?" Zuko wanted to know.

"I have something for you," Aang said.

His demeanor was uncharacteristically solemn and unsmiling, which immediately alarmed Zuko. His mind ran the gambit of worse case scenarios. He felt the instinctual urge to lighten the mood, even when he knew he wasn't terribly good at doing so. "Aang, did you get me a present?" he simpered with lame humor, "You shouldn't have."

Aang's eyes didn't gleam with even a hint of mirth. For that reason, Zuko dreaded what he planned to say. He was still holding his breath when Aang produced a small and heavy, marble container and passed it to him. The jar vaguely resembled a ceremonial vase and was fitted tightly with a lid. Zuko stared down at the pot in his hands with a questioning frown.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Well…it's not a present," Aang explained hoarsely. "But it _is_ pretty important. I…I thought you might want to have this."

Zuko's throat quivered spasmodically as he took another, more penetrating look at the jar. "Is this what I think it is, Aang?"

"I would give them to her parents," Aang reasoned, "but they never really knew her and I don't think Mai would have wanted me to anyway."

Shifting from foot to foot in evident uneasiness, Zuko regarded Aang with a flustered frown. "Don't you want to keep them? I know she'd like that."

The older boy shook his head. "I had my chance to say goodbye to her," he told Zuko, "This is yours. Only be sure not to scatter them in a field of flowers or something like that. Mai would gag."

Zuko bit back a bittersweet smile. "Yeah, she would," he agreed, "I know just where to take her…and we'll take her there together. After the war is over…"

Aang bobbed a small nod of agreement. "After the war is over."

****

"This meeting is so boring…Boring…_BORING_!"

Azula staunchly ignored Mai's incessant, monotone chanting as she finalized the last details for securing the Palace City's perimeters with her top generals. "I want no surprises tomorrow morning," she informed her top commander, "Every possible variable must be taken into consideration."

"Everyone is in position, Empress Azula," he assured her, "My men are on the highest alert. Once the rebel forces gain access into city and the eclipse is over, we'll close them off and they'll be ours for the taking."

"I want this rebel faction completely crushed," Azula declared, "There'll be no prisoners of war this time. Let's make an example of these dissenters and show the world exactly what happens to those who dare to raise a hand against our empire." A loud cheer of agreement sounded around the table. Once the fervor of patriotic pride had died down, Azula said before dismissing her generals, "One last order of business. I want our banished prince brought to me directly. But leave him alive. He's mine to deal with."

"And what exactly do you think _that_ will accomplish?" Mai wondered aloud after the generals filed out of the war room and she and Azula were left alone, "That's assuming you can even take Aang." Azula ignored her, but there was something insidious about Mai's taunting. Even when she closed her ears to it, the mocking continued to reverberate in her head. "You're giving yourself way too much credit," Mai whispered there.

Azula flicked her with narrowed eyes. "Be quiet! I have an entire army at my disposal! A mighty nation! What does my brother have? A ragtag band of disgruntled Water Tribe peasants?" Azula snorted. "Yeah, that will take him far."

"Is this diatribe for my sake…or yours?" Mai queried dryly.

"I like to deal with my enemies personally. You should know that better than anyone, shouldn't you, Mai?"

"Oh, so then your aim is to have Aang hanging out in your subconscious too, huh?" Mai shrugged. "However you want it, Azula. It'll be nice keeping company with someone I actually _like_."

"Now you're the one who's giving herself too much credit. You're nothing more than a manifestation of my anxiety and insecurity with my new position," the young Empress intoned haughtily, "Once I have crushed my enemies for good, you will vanish." She stared down the line of apparitions that line the walls of the war room, her eyes lingering on her father and the sinister smile curving his lips. "You will _all _vanish."

Mai casually inspected the tips of her fingernails before expelling an uninterested and unconvinced sigh. "Sure, Azula…whatever you say."

****

Draped in the pristine, white robes of the White Lotus Society, Iroh, the formidable Dragon of the West and firstborn son to Firelord Azulon, approached the Earth King's royal tents with his head humbly bowed and his knees trembling. Behind him were three other members of the Society. Piandao and Jeong Jeong, who had both been his friends for more than twenty years and had once been fellow soldiers in his father's army and Pakku, a recent and unexpected friend who had helped him to cope with the loss of his beloved Lu Ten. Though their presence was comforting, Iroh still felt exposed and vulnerable as he prepared to face the man whose city he had laid siege to less than a decade earlier.

"If it isn't the Dragon of the West," General How greeted stonily as he swept back the tent flaps and found Iroh standing there. After a moment, however, his features softened into a slight smile. "It is an honor to have you serve with us, General."

"No, General How," Iroh said, "The honor is mine."

"The Earth King will see you now," How granted.

While the Earth King was still a very young man, it was immediately evident that the past month had aged him tremendously. Lines of grief and cynicism were now stamped into a face that had once been filled with wide-eyed innocence and trust. There was a reserve and wariness to the Earth King that had not been there before. War had a way of leaving a lasting mark on a man.

"So you are the one they call 'the Dragon of the West,'" the king observed as Iroh came to stand before him.

Iroh bowed to the monarch. "To you I shall be known as humble servant."

"There is no need for that," the king stated, "In this particular instances, I am Kuei and you are Iroh and we are brothers united against a common foe. That is enough." He looked over towards General How and inclined his head in a nod. "My general will tell you all you need to know."

"The Dai Li have infiltrated every part of the city," General How began, "They've rebuilt the outer wall and they patrol Ba Sing Se's perimeter every night. Firebenders have control of the palace and the military bases."

"So you're proposing that we break down the wall in order to attack the city?" Piandao asserted.

"I'm proposing we take an even easier approach," How countered, "If we go through the wall, the Dai Li will see us coming and they'll be prepared. We are going to make our way back into the city by going underground…literally. We will get ourselves into position and then…all we'll have to do is wait for the eclipse. We'll bypass the Dai Li altogether, retake the palace and with very little opposition."

"It sounds almost too easy," Pakku remarked.

"Won't they be expecting that?" Iroh asked.

"There's no way for them to determine which direction we're coming from, even if they _did_ expect such an attack," How declared proudly, "We have the element of surprise on our hands."

"And if they are more prepared for you than you think?" Jeong Jeong challenged.

"Then we will be ready for that as well," General How determined, "Make no mistake, gentlemen. Tomorrow we _will_ take back the city and King Kuei _will_ regain the throne." He swung his indomitable stare around the circle of men. "Failure is not an option."

****

"Well?" Suki hissed impatiently after observing Toph do her best impression of a stone statue for more than ten minutes.

"Well what?" Toph hissed back.

"_Well, what are they saying?_" Suki emphasized. Although they were situated more than twenty feet away from the Earth King's tent, Suki had discerned enough about Toph's abilities to realize that the blind girl had likely heard every word of the conversation. Despite that, however, Toph still affected a blank look at Suki's charge. The Kyoshi Warrior snorted. "Oh, give it up. I know you've been eavesdropping this whole time."

"They're going back into the city by tunneling underground," Toph said. "They're going to do it when the eclipse happens so the Firebenders won't be able to give any opposition. It's a surprisingly good plan actually."

Suki frowned. "It sounds too easy."

"That's exactly what the old guys said."

"It looks like they're not going to need us much after all then," Suki mumbled to herself, "Maybe I should have stayed with Sokka."

"So why didn't you?"

The bold question was met with a shrug. "I wanted to help take back my home," Suki said finally, "I might live on Kyoshi, but I wasn't born there. I was born in Ba Sing Se. I've never told anyone that. My parents left there when I was about two years old."

"You think they would still be alive if they hadn't left, don't you?" Toph asked, easily reading between the lines.

"I don't know…" Suki muttered, "Maybe. They died less than a year later so yeah…I do wonder sometimes."

"You can't do that," Toph advised her, "Don't second guess about what your life _could_ have been like because it's pretty great the way it is now, Suki. You're an amazing warrior. You're respected and I know Oyagi's not your father, but he loved you like one. You have a guy who completely adores you and a ton of friends. I think your life's pretty sweet."

"I know that," Suki choked thickly, "I'm not being ungrateful. I just miss them, Toph. I wish they were here with me."

"I don't think they'd want you feeling guilty because you're happy." That declaration was so close to the truth that Suki immediately snapped out a vehement denial. Blind though she was, Toph was not fooled. "Yeah, you are," she maintained stubbornly, "You feel guilty every day of your life because you're alive and they're not. It's like your whole existence is this weird kind of tribute to your parents' memory or something. Which is really sweet and everything, Suki, but… When are you going to start living for yourself? When are you going to start thinking about what _you_ want?" She pushed to her feet and crossed the space between them to clap Suki on the shoulder as she passed by. "Just something to consider."

Too stunned to make a reply, Suki stared after Toph in dumbfound amazement, wondering how a blind girl of barely thirteen years could be blessed with such remarkable insight.

****

Katara came awake with a start, her body tensed for attack.

However, when her line of sight filled with her father's softened features, she relaxed, causing the water she'd whipped from her pouch to splash uselessly to the ground. She saturated both herself and her father, but barely noticed as she threw herself into his arms. "Dad!" she cried, "I'm so glad you're back!"

"It's good to be back," Hakoda murmured, hugging his daughter tightly. "Now let's wake the others and make this a proper reunion."

Ten minutes later everyone was awake and the teens stood together with Hakoda and Bato on the banks and drank in the full scale of their invasion force and the four, large vessels that had brought them there. The once quiet glen that had been populated only by baying koala-sheep was now alive with the booming talk of warriors from every nation. There was no demarcation between them. Water Tribe mingled with Earth Kingdom and Earth Kingdom shook hands with Fire Nation in a harmonious blend of blue, green and red. Zuko felt his throat close with emotion at the wondrous sight.

"So this is what Wei Li meant," he whispered to himself.

"Look! There's the Mechanist and Teo!" Sokka shouted.

Zuko was the first in the group to reach father and son and he surprised everyone, but none more so than himself and the Mechanist, when he embraced the inventor warmly. While the Mechanist was still reeling over that surprising greeting, Zuko turned and did the same with Teo. They both stared at Zuko in round-eyed disbelief.

"I owe you both an apology," Zuko sighed meekly, "There's no excuse for the way I treated you before."

"The apology is mine to give," the Mechanist insisted. "Besides, destroying the Northern Air Temple was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. My people and I were able to start our very own community, one that was free from Fire Nation tyranny and oppression. We owe that to you."

"That's an oversimplification," Zuko told him.

"But I like it," the Mechanist replied jovially, "I can only hope that my presence here means that you and I can start again."

"We can."

The Mechanist smiled. "Then the past is forgotten."

It was a long time before all the introductions could be made. Some faces were familiar to them while others were new. Their allies ran the gambit of diverse backgrounds, from escaped Earth Kingdom prisoners to earthbending wrestlers to disgruntled Fire Nation citizens. Each person present hasd a special reason for joining the rebel faction, but all were united in the common goal of ending the war and restoring peace and balance to the world.

Later, after everyone had sat down together for the communal, evening meal, Hakoda stood to address the throng of men before him. He surveyed their faces, young and old, male and female, before settling his eyes on Zuko. "Tomorrow, the Avatar will face the Firelord and end one hundreds year of oppression and violence," he said, "He has a difficult task ahead of him, but I have no doubt he will succeed. _That_ is his part. _Our_ part is to ensure that success. Tomorrow, we will change history and take an active hand in shaping our own destinies. Tomorrow, we will take back what has been lost to us. Tomorrow, whether we live or die, we _will_ be free!"

A deafening chant of agreement sounded from the crowd. "To freedom!"

****

Ty Lee smiled jovially at her guard as he came to deliver her breakfast.

"What are you so chipper about?" he grumped.

"It's a new day," Ty Lee chirped, "and there were only four quakes last night so I was able to get a decent night's rest. I might be dirty and smelly, but that doesn't mean bags under my eyes are acceptable."

"You're way too happy for this place," the guard sighed.

"H…Have you heard from the Empress?" Ty Lee queried hopefully as he turned to leave.

"I don't think she'll be visiting you today," he told her. "The eclipse is this morning and the word is that there's going to be an attack from rebel forces. I've heard that the Empress has been closeted away with her generals since dawn."

"Oh. She never said anything. No wonder she's been so stressed out lately," Ty Lee mumbled to herself.

"Is that what you call it?" the guard muttered sardonically.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…" He stooped down low so that he couldn't be overheard when he asked, "Have you noticed anything strange about the Empress lately? Isn't there something about her that strikes you as a bit…er…crazy?"

"You think she's crazy?" Ty Lee echoed, aghast.

The guard reared back and surged to his feet, immediately regretting asking the question at all. The girl might be a prisoner and completely mistreated by the Empress, but she seemed to possess an unfathomable and undying loyalty towards her as well. "That's not what I meant at all," he backtracked quickly. "She's stressed, just like you said. She's stressed." Ty Lee said nothing, but sat there regarding him with wide, penetrating eyes. The guard cleared his throat. "Enjoy your breakfast," he said gruffly, "I'll be back with lunch in a few hours."

As he walked away, Ty Lee paid scrutinizing attention to the set of keys hanging from his belt. Her plan for escape had just become even more urgent.

****

The morning began with a slew of questions.

More than a little curiosity had been piqued over the massive, metal monstrosities that had been tied to the back of each ship and propelled along behind the rebels during their journey. Hakoda and the Mechanist had assured the befuddled crew members that all their questions would be answered once they reached their destination and now the time had come. Shortly after breakfast, the Mechanist went to stand before the congregation of soldiers.

"I call them submarines," he announced bluntly. An immediate murmur of questions began to roll through the crowd. Hoping to quell the murmuring, the Mechanist fumbled with his schematics for the vessels and tried unsuccessfully to present them. Eventually, Sokka and Aang joined him up front and offered their assistance. While they held up the drawings for the crowd, the Mechanist adjusted his spectacles, pointing to the plans and began to speak.

"These aren't my original designs," he began in explanation.

"They're mine!" Sokka piped up proudly, a broad grin spreading across his face. His antics incited fond chuckles from the portion of the crowd that knew him best.

"Eh…yes," the Mechanist resumed awkwardly. "I took Sokka's designs and improved upon them. He had this brilliant idea for ships that didn't sail on top of the waters, but _below_ them." The inventor directed the crowd's attention towards one of Sokka's earlier drawings, which consisted of two stick figures drawn inside an oblong bubble with a propeller at the end. "I'll admit that in the beginning I had some trouble deciphering what he meant." Another chorus of laughter broke from the group.

"I got my inspiration from the great blue-tiger whale," Sokka explained, "Even though they're so large, they move through the water with amazing agility and speed. I kept thinking about how they could stay beneath the surface for long periods of time before coming up for air again and then I started wondering. What if it was possible to build a ship that could do the same thing?"

"And when he told me that, then I completely understood what he wanted," the Mechanist added, "and the submarine was born."

"So…uh…what is it supposed to do again?" an Earthbender called out from the crowd.

"It's designed to float under water rather than on top of it," Sokka answered.

"And that helps us how?" a Firebender wanted to know.

"We won't have to concern ourselves with getting past the Great Gates of Azulon," Sokka explained, "We'll just go underneath them."

"And how exactly are the submarines supposed to go beneath the surface?" one Water Tribe warrior asked, "It seems to me that they float like every other ship out there, only they're enclosed."

"Rest assured, submarines are very different," the Mechanist said, "These machines are built to withstand underwater pressure. As for how they rise and sink, we'll need the help of experienced Waterbenders to make that happen."

"So then after we go under the gates it will just be a straight shot to the beach?" Aang wondered.

"With one small stop in between," the Mechanist prefaced. "The submarines have a limited air supply so we'll have to surface for a short time before continuing on."

"How do you know these things will actually work?" another Water Tribe warrior demanded, "Have they been tested before?"

"Er…well…there have been simulations and…I…um…" The Mechanist gave up trying to make excuses as the crowd's muttering reached a crescendo. He hunched his shoulders forward and confessed rather meekly, "Actually, today will be their maiden voyage."

"Are you insane?" one Firebender cried, "I came here today prepared to risk my life, but this is ridiculous!"

"What good will these new 'ships' do us if they're not safe?" an Earthbender demanded.

"I know we all agreed that we would 'die trying,'" a Waterbender grumbled, "But I thought that meant _die trying to defeat the Firelord_, not _die trying to get there_!"

"People, People, settle down," Hakoda soothed calmly as he went to take his place before the anxious crowd. "I know this is a daunting prospect for everyone, but we can do this. Look at what we've accomplished already and against seemingly insurmountable odds. This is nothing."

He placed his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "My son trusts and believes in this man," Hakoda stated, gesturing towards the Mechanist, "and I trust and believe in my son. You've come this far already. Are you really prepared to turn back now? _I_ will be on those submarines today. Who else will join me?"

When the crowd remained silent, Sokka took a step forward. "I'll join you, Dad," he murmured quietly.

"And me," Aang added, following his lead.

Katara and Zuko stood up together. "And us too."

Teo raised his hand enthusiastically. "Count me in! After all, this is _my_ dad we're talking about."

The unwavering display of confidence among the youngest among them had an intense effect on the soldiers. A pensive hush fell over the rebels as they conversed amongst themselves, weighing the pros and cons of the mission before them. After much deliberation and some grumbling, the throng finally responded with a unanimous nod of agreement as well.

"Good," Hakoda commended with a stern smile, "Let's sail."

****

"The Great Gates of Azulon are just ahead," Aang warned. He turned back towards the group congregated around him, which consisted of Hakoda, Bato, Zuko, Sokka, Katara and the Mechanist. "We'll probably have to abandon the ships before we reach them. Our fog cover is only going to take us so far. We should board the subs now."

Early that morning Aang had awakened with a sense of intense determination, but also heavy reserve. He was acutely aware of the paramount importance of their mission. If they won today, then freedom would be secured for them and the entire world. If they lost, then all hope would be lost as well along with their lives. There was no room for error. And because Aang knew that, he was cautious…too cautious in certain opinions.

With Aang's warning, Katara squinted into the distance, but saw nothing that would raise alarm. There was nothing in the distance except two looming, dragon statuettes overlaid with gleaming gold. Between them was the likeness of Firelord Azulon, also set in gold. "What are you talking about?" she asked him. "I don't see any gates."

"Trust me, they're there," Aang said, "And when we get within range, they'll let us know it."

Hakoda jerked a terse nod. "Let's do it then," he agreed, "We'll face enough opposition once we hit the beach. Everyone get below deck." He glanced over towards the Mechanist who stood nearby and took a deep breath. "I _really_ hope your invention works."

"You're not the only one," the inventor returned.

"Not exactly a ringing endorsement," Sokka wisecracked sarcastically, "But it'll do."

"Let's get going," Hakoda said. "They'll become aware of the ships soon enough, but by then, it will be too late for them to do anything."

With the help of the Firebenders aboard each ship, a flare signal was sent to the captains of each ship to abandon their vessels and board the submarines that had been tied behind. By the time the last Waterbender had scampered down from the ships, the fog cover had begun to dissipate. Four submarines did a deep sea dive, aided by steady waterbending, when Fire Nation lookouts first caught glimpse of the abandoned crafts bobbing suspiciously on the water.

By the time, Fire Nation soldiers reached the ships and began their relentless search only to find vessels empty, the submarines were already gliding beneath the gates and were well on their way towards the beach. The Fire Nation commander turned to his nearest underling. "Alert the Empress immediately. The rebels are here."

****

"I don't have time for your nonsense!" Azula snapped as Fire Sage Kang fell into step beside her as she clicked purposefully down the corridor towards the war room. "In case you've missed it, we're facing an imminent attack."

"I am aware of that Empress," Kang acknowledged meekly, "And I would not dare approach you if I didn't believe you had a more immediate threat that requires your prompt attention."

Azula raked him with a narrowed glare. "You have five minutes! Make it good!"

A short time later Azula found herself surrounded by lilies, orchids and blooming trees in the royal gardens. It took an act of sheer willpower not to knock the fire sage to the ground. "You fool! You brought me out here to look at flowers? Have you become so bored with life that you would pull such a stunt?"

Kang gulped at the unspoken threat. "Please, don't be angry, Empress! I have a very good reason for bringing you here," he reassured her quickly, "There is something here that you _must_ see."

He gestured to the sparkling turtleduck pond a few feet away. The ducks had abandoned it for the shade of a nearby tree. Azula didn't have to wonder why they'd chosen to do so because the water seemed oddly devoid of life. As far as she could tell there weren't even any fish at all swishing beneath the surface. That alone piqued her interest enough to indulge the Fire Sage. She raised her brows towards him expectantly.

Quite unexpectedly, Kang hiked up his robes and trudged into the center of the water. Azula might have rolled her eyes over the dramatic display had it not been for the fact that the water, which should have been waist deep, now merely pooled around the Fire Sage's shins. The sage had Azula's immediate and rapt attention. She emitted a shocked gasp. "What have you done to the water?" she demanded.

"_I_ haven't done anything," the sage replied, shaking his head wildly, "The gardener brought it to my attention this morning when he noticed the fish dying. The ground beneath the lake is rising. I can only think of one reason why." He regarded Azula grimly. "You know what this means, don't you, Empress?"

She did. Having grown up surrounding by volcanoes, active and dormant, it was impossible _not_ to know. Still, there was yet a part of her that wanted to dismiss it, especially with such a decisive military battle looming. She was poised on the cusp of crushing her enemies once and for all time. This battle would not only vanquish her foes, but squelch all doubts that she was fit to rule. Her divine right to sovereignty would never be challenged again, whether aloud or in the heart. Azula was reluctant to let that opportunity slip through her fingers, especially for something that was based more on speculation than fact.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," she said, "Perhaps, the lake—,"

"—With all due respect, majesty, between the quakes and the gas pockets and now this, there can be no other explanation," the Fire Sage insisted. "I believe that an eruption is imminent. If we want to survive…if _you_ want to…you _must_ evacuate the Palace City."

Azula sank down onto a nearby bench, acknowledging her acceptance of that dire pronouncement with a terse nod. The development was a definite kink in her plans, but Azula believed that if she could function optimally while in the midst of vivid hallucinations, she could certainly finagle her way around a volcano eruption. "How long do we have?" she asked.

"A few days. Perhaps even a few hours. The mountain is restless. We cannot truly know."

"Can an evacuation wait until after the eclipse? I will _not_ give those rebel peasants the false impression that they sent us running!"

"I wouldn't advise going underground now," Kang told her, "With this new evidence, the risk of cave in is too great. Despite the reinforcements to the tunnels that you ordered, I cannot be sure the measures will be enough, especially if the quakes become more violent."

"You're right. I want them all to die, but _I_ don't want to die making sure it happens." Azula clamped her jaw tight in frustration, unwilling to concede defeat just yet. "But…my brother is on his way here right now and I'm sure he has every expectation that we'll go underground. He's likely to lead his troops in after us," she thought aloud, an alternative plan occurring to her as she devised a way to turn impending disaster to her advantage. "So, let's not disabuse him of that notion. We'll begin the evacuation once the eclipse starts," she agreed, "The rebels think they've gained the upper hand and they'll invade the caves, only we won't be inside."

She smirked at the anxiety ridden sage, who was practically wringing his hands by the time she finished speaking. "Don't worry, Kang. I'll make sure the 'right' people make if off this island alive."


	56. Chapter Fifty Five

**Chapter Fifty-Five**

Under normal circumstances, it might have been quite simple to dismiss the persistent nagging of a twelve and half year old girl, but these weren't "normal" circumstances and Toph Bei Fong was _not_ the average twelve and a half year old girl. She tagged along after the older men stubbornly as they followed behind the team of Earthbenders who were tunneling their way towards the palace. For the last twenty minutes, she had been nagging General How on the direction he should take and it had finally reached a point where he had no choice but to acknowledge her.

"I'm telling you not to go this way," she insisted stridently, "unless part of your plan is being intercepted and discovered by the Dai Li _before_ you reach the palace! You're headed on a collision course straight for them!"

General How stopped short and sighed in mild exasperation before leveling Iroh with an expression that plainly stated, "A little help here." The former general shrugged, both beleaguered and amused by the situation. "I've always found her to be an insightful, if not stubborn, young woman," he said, "It cannot hurt to listen to what she has to say, General."

Compelled by Iroh's recommendation and his own dwindling patience, General How gave the order to his Earthbenders to cease digging. Once that was done he stared down at Toph with a glare of measured expectation. "Alright, young lady," he sighed indulgently, "You have my attention. What is it you think you know that we don't?"

"I can see through the rock," Toph informed him bluntly, "and I know that if you don't start listening to me, you're going to run right into the Dai Li and your whole 'sneak attack' plan will be completely shot."

The Earth Kingdom general narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly would you know about our plans?"

While the question caused Suki to cringe visibly, Toph's features didn't betray even a hint of shame. "I also have excellent hearing," she replied, straight-faced. Besides, it wasn't a total lie.

However, the Earth Kingdom general was neither fooled nor endeared. "In other words, you and your friend have been eavesdropping on confidential matters," How devised flatly, flicking a glance over towards Suki. Once again, the older girl blushed beneath her pancake makeup. Toph didn't flinch.

"I was eavesdropping _and_ I have excellent hearing," the blind Earthbender amended. "The point is…I can tell you where you need to go and you want me to tell you where to go. Otherwise, you're going to have more than a few problems on your hands."

How stroked his beard, torn between scolding Toph for her audacity and grudging respect because she had the courage to speak her mind. While he was still vacillating between the two reactions, her friend chose that moment to speak up on her behalf. "Trust her on this," Suki piped in, "She's really good at what she does."

"If her skills are half as good as her _unrepentant spying_, I believe it," How replied sternly. He directed a look at Toph. "Alright. In addition to General Iroh's recommendation, your unmitigated arrogance has gone a long way in convincing me as well," he relented finally, stepping aside so that she could pass. "Let's hope your navigating skills are as fierce as your tongue. Lead the way."

The conflict on the beach raged full force.

As Hakoda pushed his troops towards the battlements situated on the cliff-sides, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Zuko crouched low behind the metal wall of yet another of the Mechanist's inventions, a flexible, centipede-like tank and plotted out their strategy. Fire rained down all around them. The moist heat surrounding them had already begun to thicken with soot. They could barely hear one another over the deafening rattles the tank made as it was battered by enemy fire and the unceasing booms of the battle going on beyond. Aware that time was limited, Sokka quickly set out a plan of action. He turned towards Zuko.

"Dad and I will make a pocket for you and Aang so you can get over the ridge on Appa," he said, using impromptu illustrations as he spoke, "We don't know what waits for you guys on the other side so, once you're over, you're on your own."

"We can handle it," Zuko assured him, "Just clear the space."

Sokka jerked his head in a terse nod before ducking out from their place of concealment and plunging back into battle. Almost the moment he did he was met with enemy fire, a quick series of blasts around his face and chest which he deftly twisted and turned to avoid. As the Firebender charged him, Sokka sidestepped his fiery punch, yanked hold of his wrist and caught the enemy in the shoulder with the hilt of his sword. Sokka brought the hilt down again as the Firebender stumbled to the ground, this time against his opponent's skull. The man crumpled at his feet, unconscious.

The next Firebender came at him from out of nowhere. Sokka swung his sword to and fro, absorbing the bursts of fire stemming from the man's fists. When his blade was sufficiently hot, Sokka brought the flat surface of the weapon against the Firebender's bare arm. He howled in pain. Sokka took advantage of his anguished distraction to dispatch the Firebender with a running shoulder tackle to the gut. He flipped haplessly over Sokka's shoulder, fists still blazing. The young warrior didn't even pause to review his handiwork but continued on his darting path towards his father, weaving in and out of fire along the way.

"Dad!" he cried as he sprinted towards his father. He reached Hakoda's side just as the older man launched his spear towards a Firebender on a kimono rhino. The animal swerved in the face of attack, catching the spear in the fleshy part of its thigh. The rhino bucked violently with a keening roar of pain and tossed its hapless rider from its back. "Not bad," Sokka commended, only seconds before his father tackled him to the ground.

Before the young warrior could completely shake off his disorientation, his father had already snatched his boomerang from his back, hurled it at their assailant, landed his target and re-sheathed the weapon. Sokka gaped at his father in childish stupefaction. Hakoda grinned at him as they both scrambled to their feet. "You were saying?"

"We need to take out the towers so that Aang and Zuko can get over the ridge safely!"

Spurred on by the urgency of the situation, Hakoda fell back behind his line of benders for cover and quickly devised a strategy for taking out the battlements. "Okay, I need Earthbenders stationed within firing range of each tower!" He randomly selected five volunteers for the task and Firebenders along with them. "I want you to launch the largest boulders you can bend straight at those battlements. Don't simply disable them," he told the group of soldiers, "I want them demolished. Once the boulders are in position, set them on fire and let them go."

Within moments the rebel soldiers were within range of each tower. Simultaneously, five hulking boulders were stomped from the ground and then set alight. Seconds later they launched through the air towards the battlements. Dozens of Firebenders poured from the fortified structures. Two flaming boulders made impact with their targets, obliterating the battlements an exploding blaze. The Imperial army swiftly recovered. They returned fire, flinging down a hailstorm of fire so relentless Hakoda and his men had little choice but to scramble for cover.

Behind the cover of the centipede tank, Zuko deftly swept up his staff as he and Aang prepared to mount Appa. Several loud explosions sounded in the distance. A quick peek from Zuko confirmed that two of the battle towers had been taken out. "Come on," he told Aang, "That's our cue."

He and Aang weren't even completely settled before Katara announced impulsively, "Wait! I'm coming with you!"

"No way!" Zuko barked, "That's not part of the plan! This isn't your fight, Katara! The only reason Aang is coming with me is because I need him to tell me where to go! Besides, how will Hakoda and Sokka know where you are?"

"They already know. I _am_ coming with you, Zuko," Katara maintained, her jaw set with stubborn determination. She emphasized her intent by climbing up onto Appa despite Zuko's continued protest. "Sokka and Dad can handle things without me. You, on the other hand, need as much cover as you can get."

"Don't argue with her," Aang advised, resolved as he helped Katara into the saddle. "It's pointless. Don't you think I've already tried this?" She made a face at him. Aang made one back, an expression that soon became a disgruntled frown when Momo chose that exact moment to leap onto his head despite his very strict instructions to the lemur earlier to stay with the submarines. "See what I mean?" he deadpanned, "Nobody listens to me!"

"We'll discuss the disturbing lack of control in your life later," Zuko replied dismissively. "Let's fly!"

They went airborne and immediately drew enemy fire. The flaming blasts littering the skies startled Appa deeply. After his torturous experience with Azula he was more than a little wary of the element. However, his fear and reserve only made the animal more agile and resolved. As he nimbly winded his way through the showering blaze, it was pure, animal instinct and an innate sense of self-preservation that carried the bison through.

On the ground, Hakoda took advantage of the enemy's preoccupation with blasting Appa out of the sky and launched his second wave. His attack inevitably drew fire away from the soaring bison as the Firebenders doubled their efforts to keep their enemies on the ground at bay. The marked lessening of fiery attacks allowed Appa to make it over the top of the mountain ridge with only a few patches of singed fur. Almost the moment he cleared the peaks, the extensive elegance of the Fire Nation Palace City came into view. Upon making it past the Fire Nation army's primary defenses, Zuko, Aang and Katara prepared themselves for a secondary assault, but instead were greeted with a peculiar sort of stillness. No one attacked at all.

The Palace City appeared to be completely abandoned.

He was thoroughly convinced that she was as nutty as the Empress.

The guard cautiously approached Ty Lee's cell, visibly puzzled over the possible reason she would be standing on her hands in the middle of it. He cocked his head to one side. "Is there a problem?"

"None at all," Ty Lee chirped as she walked herself over to him backwards. She regarded him cheerfully from her upside-down pose. "You can never get enough exercise and the rush of blood you get to your head is really invigorating."

"You don't say?" the guard murmured indulgently. Fascinated, he watched Ty Lee walk about her cell on her hands, even balancing herself on just one at times. She seemed just as agile as she was on her feet. The guard leaned in for a closer look as she walked her way over, peering down at her in amazement. "How can you do that without falling over?"

"It's easy," Ty Lee answered, "I just do this!"

Without warning, she slipped her trim feet through the bars and hooked them around the guard's neck, locking them at the ankles. Before he could even react to her sudden attack, Ty Lee brought his forehead into punishing attack with the metal bars of her cell. When he slumped in her hold, she released him and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Ty Lee quickly righted herself and jumped to the task of ferreting about his waist in search of the keys to her cell. When she found them, she emitted a small hiccup of relief. As she went about the business of trying each key, Ty Lee directed a mournful look towards the prone guard. "I hope you know it wasn't anything personal," she said. "When this is over, I promise I'll teach you how to walk on your hands. Honest."

"This place is completely deserted," Katara murmured as she, Aang and Zuko slowly circled the empty palace square.

"There aren't even any guards patrolling the streets," Zuko averred with a scowl.

"Remember, we were expecting this," Aang reminded them, "They've probably all gone underground by now."

"In that case," Zuko said, turning towards his beloved bison, "you should go back, Appa. I promised you that I would never make you go underground again and I'm keeping that promise. You'll be more help to Sokka and Hakoda."

"Go with him Momo," Aang commanded his pet lemur, flexing his arm in the signal for Momo to take flight. Though reluctant, the little rabbit-monkey obeyed and flew into Appa's saddle. "The two of you can keep each other safe," Aang told him, "I'll see you soon. I promise."

He, Zuko and Katara stood there and watched as Appa disappeared over the horizon and back into the haze of fire beyond before turning together to face the palace. "The entrance to the tunnels is located in the Fire Sage Temple," Aang told them, "Follow me."

"Pull back!" Toph's sudden, sharp order brought more than a dozen Earthbenders to a grinding halt.

"What's happening?" General How demanded anxiously.

"Remember when I said I could see through walls," Toph reminded him, already stomping her foot to obliterate the lining of the cave surrounding them so that they had room to press back for what was coming. "We're under attack!"

The second she uttered the words, streams of fire poured into the tunnel, licking at the ceiling and walls of the cave. Rebels had no choice but to fall back. Their forces divided and tucked into the pocket Toph had fashioned for them as their enemies wedged inside. Dai Li agents sprang and darted about the roof of the cave like clinging insects, accompanied by a small battalion of Firebenders on the ground. Earthen hands whizzed through the air, tightening into pummeling fists as they barreled towards their targets with punishing force.

In the flickering red-orange dimness of the cavern, Piandao's sword cleaved the thin air as he beat back and demolished the incoming fists with furious agility. Several Firebenders rushed him, but each was dispatched with the flick of his blade. Suki fought at his back, swinging and swaying and slashing at the hands and arms of her enemies with the swift flicking of her fans, disabling them with the skilled art and her bare hands in some instances. She and Piandao moved with concentrated precision through the tight confines of the cavern, almost choreographed in an effortless dance of twists and lunges and parries as they swept their way through swarming enemy forces.

Pakku stationed himself as a gatekeeper of sorts, fending off attacks on himself and his comrades in an icy slew of frozen daggers. He swept out a heavy wave of water from his skins, sweeping back his charging enemies in the tide so that they were slammed against the rocks and knocked unconscious. Giant puffs of hissing water vapor gradually mingled with the choking dust that filled the cavern.

While Pakku beat away his circle of assailants, Iroh and Jeong Jeong worked in tandem with one another to take theirs down. Together, they created a powerful bending display by throwing up a crackling wall of fire between themselves and opposing Fire Nation forces. Still, intrepid Firebenders dared to breech the demarcation and they paid for their folly. As they came crashing through, ribbons of fire clinging as they launched a full-scale attack, Iroh and Jeong Jeong met them blow for blow.

The fireball meant for Jeong Jeong was prevented from making blazing contact with his chest by a facile snap of Iroh's wrist as he laid the attacker low in one, sleek move. Iroh breathed back a wave of fire that sent new invaders scattering. Deciding to take a more subtle approach, Dai Li agents scaled the ceiling of the cave in an attempt to subdue him from above. The earthen manacles meant for him, however, were shattered into crumbling pieces with the accurate flicking of Jeong Jeong's fire whip. Soldiers rose and fell around the two seasoned fighters. They were dashed left and right into the cracking facades of the cave walls.

Toph split her time between flinging back the enemy and bending out a larger fighting space for her comrades. Seeming to realize that she posed one of the biggest threats to them, several Firebenders and Dai Li focused their attentions on stopping Toph in her tracks. A maelstrom of fire roared towards her. Toph reflexively bent up a protective cylinder of earth around her body. Seconds later, her protective wall was crumbled by Dai Li.

Barely recovered from the first attack, Toph found herself dodging a new one as snaking, metal chains shot out at her from the flickering darkness. Toph quickly bent herself back through the rocky wall, essentially teleporting herself into the adjacent cave. Zealous Dai Li gave immediate pursuit, but when they landed on the other side along with Toph, she was prepared.

She bent up a dozen pins of earth from the ground. They bounded off the blunted tips with the ease and grace of circus performers, their robes flowing and falling about their bodies like billowing, black clouds. The Dai Li seemed to absorb whatever blow she threw at them, almost as if they were a part of the earth themselves. They stalked Toph relentlessly about the cave's interior. More chains barreled towards her.

Thinking quickly, Toph bent up a protective armor of heavy rock around her trim body. The chains wrapped around her with blinding speed, but the confinement they provided was only momentary. With one powerful surge of energy, the chains snapped into hundreds of tiny metal particles as Toph blasted the rocks out from her body. In the stunning outpouring of rock, her enemies were thrown back as well and went careening through the cave wall, revealing the battle that was still unfolding on the other side.

Large portions of the cave roof began to break away and fall amid the grappling soldiers. Above the thunk and grind of rock and the crackling hiss of fire, Toph heard General How calling to her. "Bend us to the surface!" he ordered, "Right now!"

The scale of his demand was almost too huge to contemplate, but Toph was undaunted. She inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes. Waves of sensory perception arced out from the bottom of her feet as she became acutely aware of the frenzied vibrations of the men surrounding her. And then she did it. She planted her feet wide apart and crouched low to the ground, hands formed into tiny fists as she attempted to bend a chunk of earth larger than anything she'd ever attempted before.

Very gradually, the ground began to shift and rumble. At the base of the cavern walls, giant fissures began snaking through the craggy facades as the floor was literally cut away from it and elevated. A slow, upward shift against the cavern interior began. Toph used every ounce of strength she had to bring the entire throng, enemies and allies, up on the gigantic platform of earth while at the same time trying to take them through the surface of the ground before the ceiling of the cave could come down. Rebel and enemy Earthbenders combined their efforts in a temporary ceasefire to help her, controlling the disintegrating rock so that the ground above them split like an opening canopy rather than crushing them. Within seconds, they burst through the ground surface a few seconds later into permeating rays of the morning sun.

Almost immediately the fighting resumed, but Toph discovered she barely had the strength to stand. Lamenting the lost opportunity to catch her breath, she started to throw herself back into the conflict, but then stopped short when she heard the words that would certainly turn the tide of the battle in their favor.

"Look!" someone cried, "The eclipse is starting!"

Katara tried hard not to be distracted by the rows and rows of royal portraits along the corridor walls as she ran to keep up with Zuko and Aang on their focused sprint towards the sage temple. Under different circumstances she would have loved to peruse the halls and learn more about Aang's ancestors, but there was no time to do so. She also suspected that Aang wouldn't welcome her curiosity on the subject right then either. Katara made a mental note to ask him for a tour later when things were calmer.

They had just rounded another corner, with Aang's assurance that they weren't too far when, without warning, he was taken down in a flurried assault of striking hands. He fell backwards in an unbalanced heap, unable to break his fall because he could no longer move his arms. While Aang was still reeling with confusion over the unexpected attack, Zuko deftly prevented Ty Lee's next strike against Katara. Before the Waterbender could even reach for her pouch, he threw out a rapid line of earthen shackles that zipped through the air and slammed onto Ty Lee's wrists and ankles. She reared back into the adjacent wall, pinned and immobilized in an awkward, slanting angle.

Aang threw her a horrified glare as Katara and Zuko stooped down to assist him into an upright position. "Are you out of your mind? What's wrong with you?" he demanded incredulously. "Why did you attack me?"

"You don't understand what you're doing, Aang!" Ty Lee replied urgently, "And if I tried to explain it to you, you'd never listen to me anyway!"

"Wow, I wonder why!" Aang retorted shrilly, "Could it be because _you attacked me_?"

Staunchly ignoring Ty Lee, Katara carefully looked Aang over for further injuries. "Can you move at all?"

"Just my legs," Aang revealed glumly, "My arms are useless."

"Great," Zuko grumbled. "The eclipse is going to start any second."

"Actually, it's starting now, Zuko," Aang told him, "I can feel it."

"What should we do?" Katara asked anxiously. "We can't just leave you here."

"And you can't take me with you either," Aang countered, reading the indecision in both his friend's and girlfriend's eyes, "I'll only slow you down and you know it."

"You can't stay here alone with that freak either!" Zuko retorted, glowering at Ty Lee, "Katara and I will drag you along with us if that's what we need to do!"

"Zuko, I'm fine. Just make sure she's secure when you leave and everything will be okay," Aang reassured him. When he could clearly read the stubborn resolve burning in Zuko's eyes, Aang said, "You don't have time to fight about this! I'll tell you where you need to go. Just get Azula." No further arguments were made after that. Aang quickly rattled off detailed instructions for finding the cavern entrance and, once he was finished, Zuko and Katara rose reluctantly to their feet.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Katara pressed worriedly as she and Zuko turned to leave.

"Katara, I'll be fine," Aang insisted, "Just go!" She bent to press an impulsive kiss to his lips and, with one last lingering look, she and Zuko sprinted down the corridor and out of sight. Once they had gone, Aang turned an appalled glare towards Ty Lee. He shook his head at her in disappointment. "What were you thinking?" he whispered. "You have to know that we came here to stop her today."

Ty Lee dropped her head in shame. "I know."

"Then why?" he hissed, "After everything she's done…after _Mai_…why, Ty Lee?"

"You don't understand, Aang."

"I think you're the one who doesn't understand!" he retorted angrily, "She killed Mai in cold blood! How can you want to help her after that? I'm not saying you should act like she doesn't matter…even _I_ can't do that, but… She's out of control! She needs to be stopped!"

"But she's sick, Aang!" Ty Lee protested fervidly, "Azula is _really_ sick! She needs her friends! She needs her _family_!"

"Azula has _always_ been sick," Aang snorted glibly, "and she's never needed anyone."

"You're wrong."

"I feel sorry for you," Aang mumbled, "She doesn't deserve your loyalty, Ty Lee. She's just going to stab you in the back, just like she does everyone else. I mean, look at you!" He raked a glance down the length of her filthy person and prison-issued clothing. "She's had you wasting away in a prison cell this whole time!"

"She could have killed me and she didn't!"

Aang leveled her with a dubious glance that clearly stated that was nothing to rejoice about. "She probably did it because it benefited her somehow," he muttered.

"You don't know what she's been through."

"Oh, please. How can you be loyal to her?"

"Because no one else is!" she flared back. Her volatile and uncharacteristic response snapped Aang to attention, as if she had just physically attacked him. Ty Lee swallowed and took a deep, calming breath before speaking again. "Aang, you have to listen to me," she urged. He turned his head away, making it abundantly clear that he didn't have to at all and he had no intention of doing so either. "Please," she pleaded, but the word fell on deaf ears. Aang remained closed off.

Left without recourse, Ty Lee said the one thing she knew would get his attention and hold it. "Your mother is dead."

As she expected, Aang speared her with a sharp, penetrating look. "What?"

"It was your dad," Ty Lee revealed in a whisper, "He…he wanted her to keep quiet about what really happened to your grandfather. They were supposed to do it together, but then your dad…your dad…he turned on her. It wasn't a coincidence that he was named heir and then your grandfather died later that same week. It was your father's plan all along. He didn't think your uncle should keep the throne because he had no heirs and he asked your grandfather to change it so that he became the next Firelord. Your granddad was _really_ angry about that. Some terrible things were said during their argument and later your dad convinced your mom that you and Azula were in danger. He made it seem like if they didn't 'take care' of your grandfather, he would do something horrible to you and Azula."

Aang didn't know whether to recoil in disgust or snort with laughter. "What? Who told you this nonsense?"

"Azula did."

That answer was the deciding factor. Aang burst into noisy laughter. "Oh well, if Azula said it…" he snorted sarcastically, "Come on, Ty Lee! You know my sister. She _lies_ about everything. I don't know why she would tell you something like that, but…our mother isn't dead. There was no conspiracy. She left because she wasn't happy with Dad anymore. She ran away. That's all."

"You're in denial. Now who's the liar?" Ty Lee countered in a whisper. Though his features hardened into a remote mask in response, Ty Lee pressed on. "Aang, you know your mom. You know how she was with you and Azula and how much she loved you guys. Even if she would have left your dad, she would have _never_ left the two of you. And, even if she had…if something beyond her control had prevented her from coming back, she definitely would have returned after the Firelord's death. But she didn't come back…because she couldn't…because she's dead."

"No!" Aang bit out sharply, "It's all lies! My mother is not dead! I don't want to hear this!"

"Azula saw it happen," Ty Lee pressed on stubbornly, "She _saw_, Aang. She made me promise not to breathe a word to anyone and I _never_ did. I was the only person she told, so I know how it changed her. No little girl should see something like that. No little girl should have to live with something like that."

"No…"

"You want to know why I can't give up on her?" Ty Lee queried, "That's why! You want to know why I still fight for her? That's why! She's sick and she's in no condition to face the Avatar! I don't want her to die, Aang!"

He turned his face aside, staring blindly at the lattice ceiling above while tears of grief leaked from the corners of his eyes. "It's not my call," he uttered woodenly.

"Don't let it end like this for her," Ty Lee begged.

"I don't know what to tell you," Aang whispered, "It's the Avatar's decision to make…not mine."

"She's gone."

The Dai Li agent, who had been recently named as Head Royal Fire Guard…a fancy title for Azula's chief flunky, cringed in full preparation of his empress' awesome temper. His companion took a reflexive step back, not wanting to suffer collateral damage in any strike their mistress might have intended. But Azula surprised them both by merely stepping down from her throne to settle her narrowed gaze on the agent who had spoken. She repeated his trembling statement with an almost frightening calm. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"I went to her cell and found her guard unconscious on the ground," her Fire Guard said, "But she was nowhere to be found."

"Leave it to Ty Lee to attempt an escape when the mountain is going to blow," Azula snorted in mild amusement.

"Should I look for her?"

"No," Azula decided after a beat of silence, "Ty Lee has wasted enough of my time already. She's sealed her own fate. It's not my fault she escaped before she could benefit from my act of kindness."

"You call it kindness to keep her alive just so you can transfer her from one prison to another?" Mai snorted dryly from behind, "You're all heart, Azula."

"Be quiet!" Azula hissed.

"Highness?" the Fire Guard queried in confusion. "I didn't say anything."

"You were about to make excuses and I don't want to hear them," Azula covered smoothly.

"Ooh, nice save," Mai mocked.

This time, however, Azula managed to ignore the taunt and Mai's presence entirely. Azula sternly resolved to put aside her hallucinations in order to accomplish what needed to be done. Victory was within her grasp and she would never attain it if she allowed herself to lose her controlled grip. With that in mind, she focused on the next phase of her plan and directed an impatient glare at her head guardsman.

"If you're finished testing my patience, perhaps you can divulge whether the airships are prepared for launch," she snapped.

"They are," he confirmed, "You are the only one left, majesty."

"Then let's go." She stepped out into the empty corridor and started to turn, only to catch a flashing blur of blue and orange down the adjacent corridor from the corner of her eye as she did. The fine hairs at the back of her neck prickled with alarm. Brow furrowed, Azula started swiftly down the hallway before breaking out into a dead sprint near the end. The guards skated closely on her heels. "The rebels haven't yet made it over the ridge, have they?"

"No, highness," the chief assured her.

"And you said that I was the only one left, correct?" she pressed further as she reached the end of the corridor just in time to see the orange-blue blur round the corner. When her guard erroneously confirmed that the palace was empty, Azula whipped around to stab him with a wrathful glower. "Then who exactly ran down the corridor a moment ago?"

After muttering something about being "surrounded by incompetent fools," Azula dashed off in pursuit, giving her guards little choice but to follow after her.


	57. Chapter Fifty Six

**Chapter Fifty-Six**

With the commencement of the eclipse, Firebenders in the enemy camp called for a "fall back to the secondary, defensive positions." In doing so, they left their Dai Li allies primarily responsible for keeping the rebel push towards the Earth Kingdom palace under control. The Dai Li had their work cut out for them too. The palace was just within sight and with the eclipse starting, rebel forces had gained renewed vigor in their military campaign. As a result, the Dai Li were determined that their enemies' attempt to gain control of Ba Sing Se's primary center would be met with great difficulty.

The elite band of Earthbenders split into two distinct camps. One group of Dai Li was charged with the responsibility of keeping the rebels at bay and preventing further progress. The second group occupied themselves with the hasty task of refortifying the earthen wall that they'd recently built around the palace's exterior months earlier. Unfortunately, in spite their fore-planning and diligence, the Dai Li were well aware that they were at a disadvantage.

While most of the Firebenders on their side had retreated, the Firebenders fighting with the rebels continued to press on in battle, having been duly trained in the art of hand to hand combat with benders by their non-bending companions. The fact that they were flanked with capable and efficient Earthbenders themselves didn't improve matters either. Even the seemingly aged members of the White Lotus Society proved to be a force to be reckoned with as they cut down enemy after enemy. Across the entire territory of the Earth Kingdom, other members of that elite society were also proving themselves in a similar fashion.

The battle was so well in hand that Toph and Suki felt as if they'd been left with very little to do. Aside from stopping the occasional stray Fire Nation soldier attempting to escape the melee and scramble behind the wall, they had nothing to occupy them. Each time they attempted to cut in on the action their thunder was subsequently stolen by one of their older comrades. Their companions carried themselves with such efficiency that Suki and Toph couldn't help but feel a bit superfluous. The realization was beyond aggravating.

Finally, Toph shrugged. "Okay, I've had enough. Wanna check out where the Firebenders are running to?"

Suki grinned at the prospect. "You mean we finally get to do something?" she exclaimed exuberantly, "You're on!"

They darted furtively across the battle lines, efficiently dispatching their opposition along the way in their singular mission to sneak over into the enemy's camp. When they were within twenty feet of the wall, Toph used her sensory perception to gauge what was happening beyond it. There was a flux of activity happening on the other side, but she couldn't discern what any of it was.

Her curiosity piqued, Toph concentrated on finding a quiet, secluded spot behind the wall. Once she had, she grabbed hold of Suki and expertly bent them below ground and under the wall to the other side. When they resurfaced again in a tiny little nook out of sight from their enemies, Suki was sputtering and gasping for air. She leaned weakly into a nearby wall and directed an irate glare at Toph.

"A little warning might have been nice!" she ranted breathlessly. She spit out the particles of dirt that coated to her tongue. "Now the inside of my mouth tastes like mud!"

"Ooh, poor baby. Don't get your underwear in a bunch," Toph retorted rather remorselessly.

"Toph, if you weren't my friend, I'd—,"

"Can you stop complaining for two seconds and tell me what's over there instead?" the blind girl interrupted rudely. She pointed into the distance straight ahead of them and when Suki glanced over in the direction Toph indicated, the Kyoshi Warrior sucked in a sharp breath of stunned disbelief.

"Oh my goodness…" Suki gasped in a stilted breath. She stumbled forward a bit as she took in the fearsome sight before her, unable to process the magnitude of what she and Toph had just stumbled upon. "This is bad. This is so, _so_ bad."

"What is it?" Toph pressed, her unseeing eyes round with excitement, "All I'm getting are giant, oval shaped objects. Is it something really good? Tell me it's something really good!"

"Good" wasn't quite the word that sprang to Suki's mind as she beheld the towering fleet of Fire Nation airships that lined the courtyard of the palace. A paralyzing sight filled with horror would have been a more accurate description in Suki's opinion, especially as she watched Fire Nation soldiers load heavy canisters of blasting jelly onto the gigantic crafts. Suddenly, the battle which had seemed so much in their favor a few moments earlier had now taken a dramatic turn. They had the upper hand for now, but Suki suspected that would change once the eclipse was over. And after that…the situation was bound to become very bad, very quickly.

"There's nothing good about any of this, Toph," she muttered thickly as a leaden ball of dread settled low in her belly. "Trust me. Nothing good at all."

****

A wave of pointed darts went gliding past them in a whizzing haze. Katara yelped in pain as one sharpened point sliced across the fleshy part of her bare upper arm. With the sudden onslaught, however, Zuko cried out with gladness. The blades were thrown with such unbelievable precision that his mind immediately jumped to a most impossible possibility. For one crazy moment he fully expected to find Mai behind him. He whirled around, a wide and ready smile on his lips, only to be disappointed when he came face to face with her killer instead. The moment was more than a bit jolting for both parties. Zuko, however, was a great deal more successful at concealing his dismay than Azula was at controlling her shock over finding him alive.

Her pretty features twisted into an embittered grimace. "So, you survived, did you?" she spat, "I should have expected as much." She scraped Zuko with a scornful once-over, taking in his shaven head and tattooed skin. "And you've returned with a new look as well. How original. Tell me…should I expect Mai to join this little party?"

"Don't play games, Azula! You know Mai is gone!" Zuko retorted, "You made sure of that!"

While Azula was mentally trying to decide whether the news comforted her or shook her up further because it meant the "Mai" she was seeing was definitely a figment of her imagination, Katara warned, "The eclipse has already started! Your bending can't help you now!"

"I don't want to attack you when you're helpless, but I'll do it if you don't leave me any choice," Zuko told her.

Azula didn't appear intimidated so much as she did amused. She smirked, slowly inching her fingers toward the belt of her uniform for the store of ammunition she had hidden there. "Thank you so much for your benevolent offer, Avatar," she murmured in a tone dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm sure you'll understand why I have to pass on that!"

In one lightning quick move, Azula hurled free another bladed arsenal, this time a deadly line of shurikens. Katara and Zuko dodged her spray of twirling blades, diving apart so that they rolled to opposite sides of the wide corridor as the shurikens sank into the thick wood paneling behind them with a muted thunk. If Zuko and Katara had even been a second slower those blades might have been embedded in their chests instead.

Zuko recognized then that he'd underestimated Azula. She might be without her bending, but she was a long way from being helpless or vulnerable. He quickly righted himself just as Azula rushed past him and darted down the hallway.

He and Katara gave chase, barely acknowledging the two Dai Li agents that skated along the walls on either side of them in hot pursuit. Using his staff as leverage, Zuko blasted out several gusts of air from the soles of his feet in hopes of slowing Azula down. His air strikes knocked heavy portraits from the wall and even capsized some furniture, but Azula managed to avoid the forceful gales. She bounded out from beneath the blasts like a darting gazelle, using whatever was available to her…chairs, tables and even the walls, as leverage to execute her diving turns and somersaulting evasions. And what hits she didn't avoid outright were consistently blocked by her faithful guards.

Katara flipped out her water whip, knocking a descending agent from his perch as he swooped down from the ceiling to make another pass them. The move only slowed him down momentarily. He teetered from one gliding perch of earth only to regain his footing on another. His quick recovery barely registered for Katara. She was too concentrated on keeping Azula in her sights.

"Where is she going?" she cried as the darting girl led her and Zuko on a seeming wild goose chase up and down endless corridors with no apparent destination.

"I think she's headed to the catacombs!" Zuko answered her in between blasting back in own opponent. "I could maybe pin her down if I didn't have these idiots on my back!"

"Leave it to me!"

Bending on the move was a rather difficult acquisition, but somehow Katara managed. Without ever slowing her running pursuit, she flashed out a flood of roaring water from each arm, pinning each Dai Li to the wall in the violent tide and then freezing them into place. Once they were immobilized, Katara paused briefly to free her arms from the icy bridge she'd created before moving on. Unfortunately, her makeshift prison did not hold them prisoner for long. Within moments, each agent had bent himself back into the wall and then resurfaced on the ground directly behind Katara and Zuko. In unison, the two Earthbenders planted their feet firmly and tugged back the earth beneath Zuko and Katara as if it were little more than a decorative rug.

Zuko and Katara teetered but didn't fall completely. In order to keep from losing his foothold, Zuko snapped open his glider and took to the air, effectively avoiding their earthen assaults. Katara, in turn, created a moving shelf of ice so that she could bend herself up and around the obstacles thrown in her path. Not to be deterred, the Dai Li bent up a large shield of earth from the ground, creating an effective barrier between Azula and her pursuers and blocking her from their view entirely.

Not wanting to lose her when he was so incredibly close, Zuko didn't slow his flight at all. Instead, in one fluid moment, he closed his glider and tucked his body into a compact ball, crashing through the wall of earth. He landed on his feet on the other side, neatly flicking back the agent who met him there with a blunted rock spike.

Katara surfed over the top of the wall and rejoined Zuko. Ahead of them, they could see Azula just as she disappeared behind the ornate door leading off into the catacombs. Zuko flung out a ring of air, but the slicing effect was rebounded by the rapid rising of half a dozen earth pillars which slanted at a 45 degree angle. Just as Zuko was mentally devising a way to bend himself around them another group of pillars rose to intersect those, creating a seemingly impenetrable web of crisscrossing rock spikes in the middle of the corridor.

"That's it!" Zuko growled in an under-breath, "Now I'm getting irritated!"

As Katara made a pass by him on her ice slide, Zuko leapt onto the perch with her so that they were back to back and bending in tandem with one another. While Katara skillfully maneuvered them both through the crevices and corners of the intersected pillars, Zuko busied himself with slowing down the agents behind them. They gained quickly, gliding along the outer edges of the web. When daggers of ice did little to daunt them, Zuko waited until Katara made a pass over the rocky web and they were literally flanked by the Earthbenders before he iced over everything in their path.

Inevitably then, their fluid pursuit became a precarious slide as they lost their foothold and tumbled to the hard ground. Before they could resume their footing and their attack, Zuko smacked them both with a gale so powerful and fierce that they went tumbling head over feet down the hallway at top speed. His last glimpse of them was the skirts of their black robes billowing wildly as they retreated into the dim corridor beyond and out of sight.

A few minutes later, he and Katara caught up with Azula as she sprinted her way through the underground caverns. When she became aware of their pursuit, she attempted to escape through yet another exit, but Zuko sealed the opening so that she had nowhere to go. Trapped, Azula pivoted to face him, winded, but defiant.

"This is the end," Zuko told her plainly, "The Dai Li can't help you now. You'll make this much easier on yourself if you surrender."

Azula knew very well that she was cornered. Without her bending, her options were limited and she knew that she'd never be able to take on a fully realized Avatar alone. However, in spite of the grim odds, she was still unwilling to concede defeat. It was simply not in her. It had _never_ been.

Her shifty eyes darted between the Avatar's stoic features and the web of caves just beyond him and his Waterbending companion as she calculated the risks of attempting an escape. She could never take him without her bending and she knew it, but his friend was another matter entirely. If she had learned one thing while in Ba Sing See it had been that the quickest way to get to the Avatar would be to target his friends. If she wanted to get past him, she'd likely have to use the Waterbender to do it.

Zuko watched her devious thoughts play out behind her eyes. He didn't know what he felt more; overwhelming pity because she reminded him so much of a cornered animal or anger because he absolutely knew she wasn't going to make things easy on herself. Zuko wanted to throttle her. She had to know he wasn't going to let her past him. She had to know that she wasn't a match and yet, he could plainly see her intention. She was going to make the attempt anyway.

He made his decision then. If she refused to go quietly, if she even _looked_ like she would hurt Katara, then he would do what he had to. In the end, she would have chosen her own fate. Zuko clenched his fists in anticipation, his body tensed for the moment when she would make a move when suddenly the ground began to make a low rumbling sound.

****

Almost a quarter of the sun had disappeared behind the moon. However, it was the earthquake that took everyone by surprise, so much so that the eclipse seemed almost secondary. For the moment, all fighting on the beach ceased entirely as every man present struggled to maintain his balance and seek out some kind of cover because their fortifications had begun to crumble. Yet, by the time they had gained some modicum of stability, the quake had already passed and, the second it was over, the Firebenders began to retreat.

It was a quick turn of events and Hakoda wanted to capitalize on that momentum. He scrambled up onto Appa's back so that he could address his army and organize a definitive push towards the palace. "This is it, men!" he announced once his soldiers had reassembled themselves. "The eclipse is underway and the Firebenders are falling back. Now is the time! Let's end this war!"

With Sokka's help, he lined the men up in wedge formation and rattled off instructions for the invasion. Once they cleared the mountain ridge, it was to be a straight shot to the palace. The plan was to have it secured by the time Zuko was finished with the Firelord. Victory was so close that the aftertaste already lingered in the mouths of every rebel soldier present. An electric sense of anticipation crackled through the assembly. After one hundred years of fear and oppression, peace would be restored to the world. It was an overwhelming prospect, but a wholly welcome one as well.

A valiant war cry sounded up from the men, but as Hakoda started to turn with every intention of leading them up and over the ridge, he was suddenly distracted by the plume of heavy, grey smoke rising up from the Palace City. His command lodged in his throat and a deep scowl settled across his brow.

"What is that?" he whispered, dumbfounded.

His rapt focus caught the attention of his soldiers as well. They also puzzled over the strange cloud of smoke, murmuring amongst themselves as to what it could be. "I…I think it's coming from the Palace City," a Firebender near to Appa's right flank answered. He squinted off into the distance, his eyes flaring wide as he detected pumice and flakes of fine ash floating in the air. "It is. It _is_ coming from the Palace City. The volcano…it…it must be alive!"

"That's impossible," another Firebender piped in, but his eyes remained glued to the horizon even as he made the protest, "Everyone knows that the volcano is dormant and it has been for centuries. It has to be something else."

"It's not," the first Firebender insisted, "None of us can make fire right now, remember? So where is the smoke coming from?" He turned a look up at Hakoda, his features stamped with reluctance, but resolve as well. "I don't know if we should attempt this, sir."

****

At first, Zuko thought it was the Dai Li returned for round two and then the violent shaking began. Everyone was thrown off their feet. Large chunks of rock began to break off from the cave ceiling as the ground's quaking intensified.

Zuko reacted instinctively. He threw Katara to the ground and shielded her with his own body before bending a protective covering of earth over them both. The trembling was unrelenting even inside Zuko's shield and it took every bit of his concentration to keep it from being shaken to pieces. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few seconds, the ground finally fell still. Except for the faint sound of sliding gravel, the cave was silent. Zuko waited a few seconds more before retracting his wall.

"Thanks, Zuko," Katara murmured, gripping hold of his forearm in hopes of quelling the violent quivering in her body. "You saved my life."

"I guess that makes us even now," Zuko whispered. "You okay?"

"I think so." Katara flexed her arms and legs just to be sure her limbs were intact. "I'm good," she reassured Zuko. "What was that?"

"It felt like an earthquake."

He and Katara sat up, hoping to access the damage in the aftermath, but they could see very little. The cave was left a great deal darker in the aftermath as the torches had been snuffed out in the quake. The only light that was provided came from the oozing rivulets of bright orange lava creeping out along the floor of the cave. He and Katara scooted closer to the wall in an effort to avoid the slivered flow of molten rock. As they did so, Zuko realized that Azula was gone.

At first, he thought she might have been injured or even killed in the cave in, but that possibility seemed unlikely. There had been surprising little damage done to the cave besides a few half-blocked entrances. Unfortunately, the cavern that he'd sealed to keep Azula from escaping now had a tiny opening near the top. It didn't take a great deal of effort to deduce what had happened to Azula.

"I'll bet she went out through there," Zuko surmised as he shifted to his feet and pulled Katara with him. "There must be some way back up to the surface. I'm going to go after her."

Katara frowned. "What do you mean 'I'? Shouldn't we go together?"

"You should go back and check on Aang," Zuko told her, "I know you're probably worried."

She didn't bother to deny his assumption, even though she felt terribly guilty about leaving him in the lurch. "Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Katara pressed, already backing towards the exit to head back the way she'd come.

"Katara, I can handle a non-bending Azula any day of the week," he scoffed as bent back the barrier of rock blocking the cave's mouth. He paused to flash her with a surprising half smile over his shoulder. "See you on the other side," he said right before he ducked around the corner and disappeared.

****

As expected, the Firebender's radical suggestion brought with it an explosion of emotion.

"Are you kidding?" a nearby Earthbender burst out. "We're in the middle of an invasion! The eclipse is happening _right now_! This is probably our last chance to take control of this city and you want to turn back because of some smoke?"

"Listen to me," the first Firebender urged, "I spent my childhood in the Palace City and believe me when I tell you…" he paused to point at the column of smoke in the distance, "…_that_ is not a good thing."

"What do you suggest we do?" Hakoda asked him.

"We should go back to the submarines," the Firebender advised, "If the volcano is smoking after so many years of silence, there's a really good chance it's going to erupt and, if that happens, we don't want to be around when it does."

"You can't even be sure that's what's happening at all," the Earthbender snorted, "This is a bunch of speculation that could turn out to be nothing. Are we supposed to run based on a 'maybe?'"

"They ran," the Firebender emphasized, pointing to their enemies' vacated lines, "There's something much more than the eclipse happening here."

"You want to know what I think?" the Earthbender queried in a mildly accusing tone, "I think you have a case of cold feet. I think you're a little jittery about attacking your Firelord and homeland."

"First of all, Firelord Azula is not _my_ Firelord," the Firebender replied with a disdainful grunt. "My loyalty belongs to General Iroh, rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne, and always has. Second of all, my reluctance to go over that mountain ridge has _nothing_ to do with being 'jittery' and everything to do with living around volcanoes, particularly this one, for most of my life. I know what I'm talking about! You men can do what you want, but I'm not going over that ridge. We came here to risk our lives, not commit suicide!"

The man's earnestness could not be ignored. Unlike the disgruntled Earthbender, Hakoda did not think the Firebender had been struck with a delayed case of nerves. The soldier's argument was punctuated with sincerity and genuine fear. While Hakoda wasn't sure if he believed the mountain was poised for inevitable explosion, the Firebender obviously did and his reluctance to go further, when he had already come so far, was extremely compelling. Hakoda didn't feel comfortable dismissing the Firebender's concerns entirely, but then neither did he feel comfortable with giving the order to turn back for the submarines.

"This is an unexpected event that none of us were expecting," he told the Firebender, "But you can't really know if that volcano will erupt or not and, even if it does, you can't know when it will happen."

"Do you want to take the chance that we're on this island when it does?" the Firebender queried flatly, "If that happens we will _not_ survive. The signs are all here. It's too dangerous for us to remain."

As if to prove his point, the ground suddenly rumbled with an aftershock. What was left of the battlements on the ridge was demolished and the remains of the crushed buildings went tumbling off the edge of the ridge to the powdery beach below. For a second time, Hakoda and his men made a largely futile attempt to take cover. The shaking was severe and violent, but thankfully brief as well.

After it was over, Hakoda gradually eased himself off of Sokka and rolled to his feet to address his terrified and confused troops once more. "Well, that was…er…bracing," he began lightly, "It seems we weren't quite prepared for an act of nature. I can't tell you men what to do. This has to be your decision. If you want to press on, then you press on at your own risk, but those who decide to stay behind should _not_ be judged."

"I'm going on ahead!" the Earthbender declared loudly, "A little shaking isn't going to stop me! Who will join me?"

Several dozen men, Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe alike went to stand alongside him while the rest fell back behind the Firebender who had predicted doom. With one last glance of grumbling disgust, the Earthbender shook his head and began leading his troop up the ridge while the Mechanist and the remaining soldiers turned back towards the submarines. In the distance, the low rumbling of the awakening volcano could be distinctly heard.

"Hakoda, what do you want to do?" Bato asked from the ground. "Should we press on with the others or should we turn back for the subs? If we're going to take advantage of the eclipse, we don't have much time."

The Water Tribe chief glanced at the smoke column in the distance and then back at his best friend. "We came here prepared to risk our lives."

"But not to battle a force of nature while we did," Sokka interjected softly. "Dad, don't you think if that Firebender could figure out the something isn't right that the people here in the Palace City know it too? What if these quakes weren't the first ones? Everyone has retreated and, the way they did, I'm not entirely sure it's because of the eclipse. I saw their faces. _We_ were shocked by the quake, but they _weren't_. Why do you think that is?"

"What are you saying, Sokka?"

"I think we should turn back," Sokka said, "I don't want to, especially when we're this close, but it's the wisest choice we can make. If that volcano does erupt, our enemies will likely be prepared, but we won't."

Acutely aware that he had little time to deliberate about it, Hakoda bobbed a quick nod of agreement. "But what about your sister, Zuko and Aang? We can't leave them out there, Sokka."

"And we're not going to," Sokka agreed. "I'll take Appa and go find them. You and Bato get back to the submarines and get as far away from this place as you can."

The plan was haphazard and risky and Hakoda didn't entirely like it, but if the ground tremors were any indication, he didn't have much choice in the matter. With a heavy heart, he turned to dismount, but then whirled back at the last second and crushed Sokka in a tight hold. "Take care of yourself, son," he whispered, "We'll meet back at the rendezvous point. Be safe."

"I will, Dad. I promise."

****

The force of the quakes shook Ty Lee free from her bonds. She nimbly landed on her feet, her eyes already darting down the outer corridors as she contemplated where to begin her search for Azula. As she did so, she locked eyed with Aang. He regarded her with a defeated expression.

"Go on and leave," he invited glumly, "It's not like I can do anything to stop you."

Ty Lee started to do just that, but guilt rendered her steps almost leaden-like. Neither quake had done an extensive amount of damage. Some paintings had been knocked askew and a few pieces of furniture were no longer in their place, but for the most part, everything appeared maintained. In spite of his limited mobility, Aang had fared well. However, Ty Lee knew that his continued good fortune would be unlikely if the quakes became more frequent and violent. And based on her experience of the last few weeks, she well expected that they would.

Unable to ignore the vehement protests of her conscience, Ty Lee pivoted around with a frustrated groan. "Okay, I'll help you," she relented, "But you have to promise you'll help me talk some sense into your sister!"

Stationing herself behind him as a prop, Ty Lee shifted Aang upright so that she could begin massaging his shoulders and neck. "Hey! What are you doing?" he demanded mistrustfully.

She locked her legs to keep him from wiggling excessively. "Relax," she coaxed, "I know I don't smell very good, but try to ignore that for now. What I'm doing is helping to unblock your chi paths."

"So you can block it and _un_block it," Aang mumbled, biting back his grunts of discomfort as Ty Lee firmly manipulated the muscles in his back and shoulders, "That's real convenient…" He flicked her with an exasperated, sideways glance. "You can let me go now."

"Oh. Sorry," Ty Lee piped, immediately loosening her leg hold on him. "This isn't hurting you, is it?"

"It's fine," he replied. In actuality, however, her massage was better than "fine." Sensation was already beginning to gradually return to his arms and spread throughout his fingertips.

But his reassurance must not have sounded very reassuring to Ty Lee or perhaps she was simply dissatisfied with his laconic response because, a few seconds later, she stopped her ministrations. "Are you really going to help me with Azula?" she demanded bluntly.

Aang half twisted around to face her. "I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish by going after her," he sighed, "Azula has never been one to accept anyone's help." When Ty Lee's hopeful expression collapsed into a sad frown following his response, Aang felt guilty and added, "For the record, I don't want her to die anymore than you do."

"Well, if it means anything to you, I think she's sorry for what happened with Mai," Ty Lee interjected softly, "She feels guilty about it."

The declaration shocked Aang so much he temporarily forgot to breathe. "Is…is that what she told you?"

"Not in so many words," Ty Lee hedged in a timid tone.

The small ray of hope that had begun to open in Aang's heart flickered out with Ty Lee's vague reply. "If she doesn't feel guilty about it then she should," he muttered as Ty Lee resumed kneading his shoulders, "I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she did to Mai. I can't hate her, especially after what you just told me. She shouldn't have had to grieve for our mother alone, but no matter how much I hurt for her…I can't forgive her. I'm not there yet."

"I haven't forgiven her either," Ty Lee confessed in a whisper. "Maybe we'll get there together."

Aang shook his head, conflicted and grief-stricken all at once. He wanted to cry, but was very aware that tears would accomplish little. A part of him had always suspected his mother would never come back home, but it was quite another matter to have solid proof. And Azula had known the truth the entire time and she had suffered alone. Although it was a bit irrational, Aang felt like he'd failed her somehow.

"Why didn't she just come to me?" he mumbled to himself.

"Would you have believed her if she had?"

Aang pondered the question for a brief moment, arriving at the answer almost shamefully. "Probably not," he admitted in self-denigration, "I'm a horrible brother."

"I don't think you are at all," Ty Lee whispered.

He glanced back once more to find her staring at him with an expression of unconcealed fascination. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "I…I was looking for your scar," she stammered, "Azula said you'd been disfigured after the Agni Kai, but I don't see anything. You look almost the same as the last time I saw you."

He raised his fingers to his eye, made a bit self-conscious by her avid perusal. "It was there," Aang confirmed, "But it's not anymore."

She appeared more thoughtful at the revelation than shocked. "So, you kind of got a second chance, huh?" Ty Lee surmised.

"I guess you can say that."

Ty Lee smiled. "Maybe Azula will get a second chance too."

"Get away from him!"

Katara's harsh order startled Ty Lee upright and had Aang scrambling to his feet. "Katara, it's okay. Don't get riled. Look," he said, wildly flexing his arms and fingers, "I can move again. Ty Lee helped me."

The Waterbender relaxed, but just barely. "It was the _least_ she could do," she grumbled with a scathing glance in Ty Lee's direction. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Zuko went chasing after Azula through the catacombs and I'm worried about him. I don't know if these last couple of quakes have been random or what."

"They're not random," Ty Lee said, "They've been happening for the last month."

"A month?" Aang and Katara balked simultaneously.

"From the bits and pieces I've heard, the volcano under the palace is going to erupt. An order has been given to evacuate the city," Ty Lee elaborated, "I was trying to get to Azula before she left."

"I can't believe it! This entire battle was just a set up," Katara mumbled in disbelief, "She let us invade probably _hoping_ we'd go into the catacombs after her and die there." She choked out an aggravated growl. "And that's _exactly_ what Zuko and I did." Blue eyes flared wide with panic. "We have to go after them!"

"No, wait!" Aang cried, catching hold of her arm when she would have run back the way she came. "If these quakes are that frequent, Azula's not going to stay underground for long. She might want Zuko dead, but she's not going to risk her own life to make it happen."

"So what do we do now?" Katara wondered.

"Follow me," Aang said, "I have an idea of where she might be headed."


	58. Chapter Fifty Seven

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

Suki tugged at Toph's arm, a signal for the Earthbender to bend them out of there immediately. "We should go back for the others."

"Wait. What's your hurry?" the young Earthbender hissed. "We've been standing around with our thumbs up our butts long enough. This is our chance to get in on the action. We can handle this situation on our own."

"'Get in on the action'" Suki echoed dumbly, "Are you insane? Toph, it's you and me against an _army_ of Firebenders with a fleet of airships filled with blasting jelly. It doesn't matter if they can't bend fire because I'm thinking we only have a good five or six minutes left of that. The odds _aren't_ in our favor."

"Not if we stand here and argue about it."

The Kyoshi Warrior grumbled under her breath. "I just know I'm going to regret asking this, but…what's your plan?"

"That's the beauty," Toph said with a grin, "I don't have one."

"You _are_ insane."

"You said it yourself," Toph reminded her, "They can't bend…what exactly can they do to us?"

"There's such a thing as hand to hand combat, Toph," Suki replied dryly, "You're not automatically useless just because you can't bend, you know?"

"Whoa, somebody's sensitive."

That statement was followed by another round of aggravated grumbling, but Suki bit back her tirade in favor of figuring out a way to disable the ships before they went airborne because, once that happened, all bets were off. "There's no way we can take out an entire fleet on our own unless we…" She filtered off into silence during her muttered musing as a radical and outrageous idea suddenly occurred to her.

"Unless we what?" Toph prodded impatiently, "You want to commandeer one of the ships?"

"No!" Suki replied, instantly squelching the blind girl's excitement, "I want to sabotage them so that they never get off the ground."

A grin of anticipation stretched across Toph's lips. "You see, I knew there was a reason I liked you."

****

Dimly lit caves that smelled vaguely of mold, Zuko realized, were fast becoming his thing.

His and Azula's fleet-footed chase through the swiftly crumbling web of intersecting tunnels was treacherous and heart-pounding. At some points they were pitched into complete blackness while at others globules of flowing lava lit the way. Swift detours had to be made because old exits had been blocked off.

Azula had expertly dodged most of the obstacles that fell in her way, most times using the large chunks of debris that fell in her path as springboards to aid in her bouncing flight. At points when she felt Zuko was too close, she was sure to hurl a dagger or two just to slow him down. The young Avatar had endured quite a number of close calls, which aggravated him considering the rock slides that might have ended Azula's flight altogether had been expertly neutralized by him. Zuko bent out canopies of safety for her when her reflexes and timing proved to be a bit too slow. More than once he had saved her from being crushed to death.

He wondered if knowing how many times he'd snatched her back from the brink would make a difference to Azula at all. _Probably not_, he decided inwardly, _Azula doesn't have an ounce of gratitude in her._ He'd only had a handful of dealings with her and Zuko had already discerned that. She'd likely write him off as a fool for even bothering. Part of him wondered if he was. As he chased her fruitlessly down one dark passage after another, Zuko considered whether or not allowing a fallen boulder to bring about her demise would be the easiest course. He was tempted, but his conscience nagged at him. He couldn't allow Azula to meet her end that way…even if she amply deserved it.

When they burst out into the large, open courtyard that was located just beyond the palace gardens, Zuko had no time to process his gaping surprise over the dozens of airships that had already begun their floating ascent towards the heavens. Instead, he focused on the single ship that remained…the one that Azula clearly intended to board. He raised his hand and gave a convulsing flick of his fingers, bending up a looming wall of rock between her and the ship, cutting off her means of escape so that she had no choice but to turn and face him.

"There's no place else for you to go," he told her.

The corner of her berry colored lips turned up in an unpleasant smile. "No, Avatar," she refuted almost laughingly as the rock wall behind her suddenly crumbled into dust, "_you_ have no place to go." Twelve Dai Li agents materialized to flank her, six on either side, their tailored robes flapping like bats' wings in the stiflingly humid air.

There was no time for shock or even a moment to acknowledge he might be woefully outnumbered. The ground beneath Zuko rumbled ominously, but not with a quake this time. Instead, he found himself the lone target of a simultaneous earthbending attack. A large mound of earth rolled towards him with incredible speed, punching the beleaguered Avatar off his feet and causing him to crash into the hard turf with bone-rattling impact. His staff was shaken from his grip with the force of it, bouncing out from his fingers and out of sight. Zuko righted himself quickly, fearful that Azula would attempt to use his disorientated state as her chance to flee, but the sight that greeted him instead almost made him wish she had run.

She twirled his glider-staff in her hands, snapping it open and closed with a marveling expression. The look of pure satisfaction on her face filled Zuko with dread. "Drop it, Azula," he ordered, but she only laughed. Zuko's features whitened before infusing with the crimson heat of righteous fury.

"You want it back?" Azula taunted with a smirk, "Come and get it."

****

"Why are we sneaking around again? This is pathetic!" Toph's complaints were interspersed with her efforts to covertly bend herself and Suki atop of yet another airship. Once they had reached their destination, she quickly retracted the pillar of rock so that it disappeared back into the earth. "I still say we could take them."

Suki tugged her towards the tail end of the airship where the fin shaped elevator flap was located. "This will go much more smoothly if we don't attract a lot of attention," she advised the impetuous Earthbender, "Now do just what you did with the others."

"Yes, master."

The Kyoshi warrior watched in fascination as Toph grabbed handfuls of the thick metal and bunched it together as if it were little more than a thin sheet of tinfoil. "You know, it actually used to annoy me when Sokka would go on and on about you like he was your biggest fan," Suki remarked thoughtfully, "but I can see now that you totally diverse it, Toph. I'm your _second_ biggest fan."

"You can never have too much adulation," the younger girl quipped jauntily. "What now? How much time do we have left?"

Suki quickly donned the eclipse glasses that the Mechanist had insisted they all wear and glanced up. "The sun is almost completely behind the moon," she said, "We need to move! There are three more airships to go."

"Hey, you two! What are you doing there?"

Toph reacted instinctually, her sonar perception going mad as half a dozen Firebenders stormed them with fire grenades at the ready. She ripped off a sheet of metal from the Zeppelin's flap and bent it around Suki and herself so that it fit against them like a suit of armor. When the small grenades exploded around them they were largely protected from the punishing blasts. After the danger had passed, however, Toph turned her attention towards getting even.

She hurled the twisted metal at the group of Firebenders. As they scattered out from under the slicing projectile, Toph grabbed hold of Suki's hand and the two girls ran for the hanging gondola located near the front of the ship. Their hope was to use the platform as a springboard to make it back safely to the surface.

They had only made it halfway, with grenades popping about their heads the entire time, when the ship suddenly lurched to the side and they were thrown off their feet. Desperate and confused by the Zeppelin's sudden tilting, the two clawed their way to the edge of the airship in an effort to keep from being tossed overboard as it pitched and swayed.

"What's happening?" Toph cried.

Suki's eyes widened in stunned horror as she noticed the ground beneath them beginning to grow smaller. "Um…Toph? I think I might have made a slight miscalculation," she informed her friend a little hysterically.

"What does that mean?"

"We're taking off."

****

The stiff shaft of air Zuko sent hurtling towards Azula was blocked by her earthbending guards. They smoothly bent up a circle of earth around her, erecting and retracting the rocky shield whenever the situation called for it. While they made no direct move to attack Zuko outright, they did everything within their power to keep him from attacking Azula.

Frustrated, Zuko breathlessly paced the perimeter of their makeshift fortress, catching glimpses of Azula through the moving columns of earth. He could see her idly twirling his glider-staff in her hands. "Excellent craftsmanship, Avatar," she called out to him. She tested the weight of the glider and even briefly snapped it open. "It seems a bit delicate…"

"Don't even think about it, Azula," Zuko warned darkly. Although he tried very hard to keep his agitation concealed, his body language was tense and guarded. The glider was extremely precious to him. It had been the last thing Gyatso had given him. To see something so sentimental in Azula's hands made Zuko feel physically ill. "Drop it now!"

The order was defiant and vibrating with anger. Several Dai Li bounced uncertain looks between them, as if weighing the wisdom of provoking a fully realized and often volatile Avatar. Azula, however, simply threw back her head and released a trilling laugh just as she had when he'd ordered her the first time. She waved the glider. "You seem rather attached to this thing," she remarked, grasping hold of the staff as if she meant to snap it in two, "It would be a shame if something were to happen to it."

Her threat was enough. Zuko reacted. He drew his fists together and pounded the ground with his foot so that a large rolling mound earth went speeding towards her. Dai Li bent up a lip of rock to slow the earth's wave rapid progression. Several were knocked aside for their efforts while the remaining concentrated on bending their mistress high onto an ascending column and out of harm's way.

Zuko followed, matching the Dai Li move for move, mimicking their evasion techniques while dispatching them along the way. He might have subdued Azula more easily and quickly had it not been for their interference and, therefore, they received the brunt of his fury. Even while Azula was steadily losing her protection and the sun started to creep into full position behind the moon, she kept running. She bounced from pillar to pillar, evading Zuko's stalking pursuit even as she taunted him for the sole purpose of drawing his fire.

"So much fire over a paltry, little stick," Azula taunted, "I think you've shown more passion for this thing than you did in Ba Sing Se when Mai died!"

"You shut your mouth about her!" Zuko growled.

He punched out a pocket of air to knock her off her perch. Azula performed an elegant, backwards flip so that the windy assault merely glanced over her torso as she bounded onto a lower platform. Zuko bounded lower as well so that they stood facing each other, separated by a mere distance of twenty feet high above the twitching earth.

Azula cocked her head thoughtfully as she regarded him. "Hmm…your feelings for her were deeper than I thought," she remarked, lips pursed, "Then her death must have been especially hard for you. I'm sure you know lightning does terrible things to a person. Severe burns…massive internal injuries…horrific scars—,"

"Be quiet!" Zuko growled. Until that moment, he hadn't allowed himself to dwell on the details of Mai's death and no one had ever volunteered the information to him either. Aang had said it had been quick, but now Zuko couldn't help but wonder and agonize. Now that Azula had put the images in his mind, he couldn't banish them.

His distress was palpable and Azula gladly capitalized on his anguish. "I think it must be incredibly painful," she went on airily, "Sometimes, death is instantaneous, but other times… Well, I've seen people linger on for hours, sometimes _days_ afterwards. Their bodies writhe and twitch, almost like a seizure and they scream at the slightest touch. I imagine it's quite a horrible way to die being in so much anguish." Her lips curved in a pensive smile. "I wonder which happened to Mai, Avatar…did she die quickly or did she suffer?"

Honestly, Zuko didn't know and the realization was nearly crippling. His mewling whimper was audible and Azula fed off his misery like a leech. Somehow, causing him grief made her own easier to bear. She watched with satisfaction as Zuko swallowed back a sickening wave of nausea, obviously playing out the scenario for Mai's dying moments in his mind. Azula emitted a merry laugh.

"I like to think she suffered horribly," she said, her eyes falling to the apparition that was never far from her, "It's no less than she deserved!"

Her callous lack of remorse was too much for Zuko. He launched himself at her with a roar of fury, his single goal to wipe that infuriating grin from her hate-filled face. Zuko swatted back Dai Li as if they were little more than annoying insects, his sights set on Azula with deadly intent. The ground was in a constant state of agitation, not only from the rapid earthbending that caused it to rise and fall and break apart, but also from the magma that bubbled beneath the surface and leaked through the cracks and ridges created. Slivers of earth began to split apart and shafts of superheated, poisonous gases spewed up from the narrow fissures. The steaming vents burst around them in a series of cacophonic explosions.

The air became filled with rancid moisture. Their eyes watered. Their lungs burned. And yet, the fighting continued. Azula flipped to the sanctuary of yet another earth platform when the sky darkened a dreary gray. Except for an airy halo of light feathered about the diameter of the full moon, the sun was no longer visible at all. With the massive, yellow orb completely blotted out and overshadowed by the moon, Zuko felt a sudden and inexplicable surge of power.

He remembered then what Katara had taught him about the full moon and how it could enhance a Waterbender's ability. He had never imagined that it would apply to him before, but now he wondered. Zuko didn't think about it too long. He whipped out a powerful tide of water that smacked Azula from her pillar and demolished it entirely. Azula fell among the jagged hills of debris with an audible thud.

Zuko retracted his earthen platform and returned to level ground, watching with dispassionate eyes as Azula staggered to her feet. The two regarded one another warily through the gossamer haze wafting gas. "It's over, Azula," he told her, directing a nod towards the guards who were either unconscious or too disoriented to come to her aid. "There's no one else to help you now. End this now or I'll end it for you!"

Azula tightened her fingers around his glider, her lower lip quivering with frustrated defiance, her eyes alive with tears of fury and hatred. But not defeat. Azula would _never_ concede that.

Rather than turning the glider over to him then and gracefully surrendering, Azula raised her knee and brought the glider down against it, snapping the wood in two. She tossed the broken remnants into a nearby flow of oozing lava. The wooden pieces hadn't even caught fire before Zuko snapped out a fist of earth similar to that of the Dai Li's and caught her throat in a punishing choke hold. He elevated her into the air so that her feet dangled perilously above the ground.

Zuko's features were inscrutable and nearly white with rage as he came to stand beneath her. He watched with glacial eyes as her face darkened to a blood red and then began to fade to an ashen blue. In that moment he wanted her to suffer just as she had wanted Mai to suffer. He tightened the rocky fingers around her neck in minute degrees, slowly and methodically cutting off her precious oxygen.

Even on the verge of losing consciousness, Azula still maintained an air of insolent hauteur. She glared down at him, refusing to beg for her life. If anything, she took immeasurable satisfaction in the knowledge that he wanted and _would_ kill her. Her mouth thinned in a scornful sneer.

"Go on do it," she rasped, her eyes glazed with hatred and internal pain, "You know…you want to, Avatar. Give in…and get it…over with!"

The morbid invitation was like being doused with ice-cold water. In that moment, Zuko could see _himself_ reflected in her eyes. He could clearly see the path of hatred that had led her to this pathetic end and he refused to let himself take the same journey. He was not the same angry, embittered young man that he'd been in months past. He wasn't a child or an animal to lash out without thought of consequences or reason. He would not allow Azula to goad him into becoming the very thing that she was because, even in death, _she_ would have the victory and that was unacceptable to him.

Gaining the mastery of his chaotic emotions, Zuko took a deep breath and finally released her. Azula toppled to the earth again, clutching at her bruised throat and gulping in great draughts of air. She stared up at him through the canopy of her disheveled hair and found herself choking out the very same question her father had asked of her only moments before he died. "Why?"

Zuko crouched down beside her and met her wild, wide stare with a serene and remote one. "Because," he answered as he fashioned her with a set of earthen shackles, "we're not the same."

****

Strangely, his shock over seeing the Zeppelins was momentary and Sokka was able to recover quickly.

After a few seconds of trepidation, he expertly weaved Appa through the dozens of Fire Nation airships with a surprising amount of ease. As a result of their inability to bend, there wasn't a great deal the Firebenders could do about him. Once he was high above them, he was out of their firing range. On the ground, the soldiers who had been stubbornly determined to press forward weren't so fortunate. They were forced to take cover on unstable ground while the passing Fire Nation Zeppelins pelted them with bombs. Sokka watched them scramble below him and felt torn.

He hovered midair, debating whether he should go back or continue on with his original mission when he realized that the airships weren't attacking the ground _soldiers_ at all. Rather, they were destroying the area _behind_ them, basically demolishing the ridge to make it impassable. It wasn't an open attack, but their actions still made it rather clear to Sokka that the Fire Nation didn't want them leaving that island.

Sokka wasn't sure what he should do. He was alone on Appa and there were at least two dozen men beneath him fighting for their lives. He wanted to go to their aid. His natural inclination was to do so, but he was also well aware that he would accomplish little if he did. The volcano crater was already smoking and the rumbling that issued forth from it was nearly continuous. He could make an attempt to save the men, some of them, but it was almost guaranteed that he wouldn't make it to Katara, Zuko and Aang on time. And, even if he did, Appa couldn't possibly handle the weight of so many people.

Before him was an extremely difficult choice of life and death, but Sokka knew what he had to do. It was simply that the execution was harder than he had ever imagined. Those soldiers had made their choice and they had known the possible consequences when they set out apart from the others. He, on the other hand, had promised his father that he would bring Katara back and Sokka had never broken a promise to his father.

Although he literally felt sick with the decision, Sokka, nonetheless, flicked Appa's reins and turned the mighty bison towards the palace. "I hope I did the right thing," he whispered in his heart, his body stooped with sorrow and grief, "I really hope I did."

****

"I thought you said they'd never get off the ground!" Toph cried in accusation as she and Suki made a darting retreat from pursuing Firebenders.

"I wasn't expecting them to take off this early!" Suki flung back defensively, yanking Toph to the ground when yet another fire grenade sailed over their heads. "We have to get out of here!"

"No really? You think?" Toph snorted sarcastically.

"Shush up for a second and let me think!" They scrambled together towards the nose of the airship, aware of the Fire Nation soldiers, the number of which seemed to multiply with each passing minute, dogging their heels.

"We could just take them head on," Toph suggested.

Suki grimaced at the plan. "What is it about you and 'taking people,' Toph?" She barely heard the girl's answer, however, because right then she spotted salvation in the form of a passing Zeppelin, its empty gondola within leaping range. Suki didn't have time to debate whether the idea was crazy or not. She grabbed hold of Toph's hand. "Jump!" she commanded forcefully…and that's just what they did.

Their landing was hardly smooth. The airship listed suddenly just as they were about to stick it, causing Suki to miss the target. She managed to catch hold of the rail before she and Toph could fall to their deaths, but the impact was so jarring that her neck and shoulder popped. Stars of blinding pain burst before her eyes. She actually cried out, but despite the fire in her arm and back, she didn't let go…not of the railing and not of Toph either.

Toph maintained a rigid two-handed grip on Suki's wrist, aware that she was hanging in mid-air, but thankfully unaware of the distance between her and the ground. "This isn't good, is it?"

"What gave it away?" Suki gritted. She struggled to bring her leg up and place her foot against the platform's gondola, but the weakness in her arm and shoulder made it difficult for her to pull Toph up completely. "If I walk you through it, do you think you'll be able to pull yourself up and make it to the gondola?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, there's always a face plant of about two hundred feet," Suki joked shakily.

"Gondola it is." As Toph began her precarious ascent up Suki's body, inwardly cringing with the Kyoshi Warrior's every yelp of pain, she grumbled, "This sucks."

Shaking and nauseous, Suki still attempted to lighten the mood. "Well, look on the bright side. Our plan obviously worked and the airships are out of control. That's the good news," she finished just as she noted, with a mixture of panic and disbelief, that the nose of the airship to which they clung and the tail of another were on a collision course with one another. "You might want to climb a bit faster, Toph."

"Why? What's the bad news?" she asked in a dread-filled tone.

"Brace yourself!" Suki cried mere seconds before they made impact and she lost her grip on the railing entirely.

****

Hakoda strained to maintain a visual of his son as Sokka crossed the horizon. He had successfully fought his way through the blanket of Fire Nation Zeppelins and out of firing range. Hakoda should have relaxed, but instead he was left more anxious than before. He grimaced, watching Sokka hover above the ships. "What is he doing?"

Bato nudged him. "Sokka can take care of himself," he assured his friend. He pointed towards the approaching airships. "They'll be here any minute. Do you want to get a taste of what those ground soldiers just experienced? We need to submerge."

All the other submarines had already gone underground. They were last one. With the sudden emergence of the airships, the situation had become all the more dire. But in spite of his friend's warning and the visible, immediate danger, Hakoda continued to linger. Bato knew that the usually unflappable Water Tribe chieftain was terrified for his children. Bato didn't blame him. He was terrified as well.

"Hakoda, we have to remember that they've come this far on their own," Bato said softly, "They're not children anymore…or, at least, not the ones we left behind. They'll be okay."

Although Hakoda jerked his head in a nod of agreement he still watched until Sokka was little more than a speck in the distance before he turned towards Bato. "Okay," he said, scrambling with his friend for the submarine hatch just as the airships began releasing a new wave of bombs, "Let's get out of here!"

****

Azula was surprisingly docile as Zuko hoisted her to her feet. Someone who might not have known her better might have been grateful, but Zuko was left scowling. The disoriented, disheveled picture she presented was a far cry from the cool, composed Azula he'd come to expect. There was something distinctly pitiful about her, but Zuko found himself without pity. Not because he was unmoved, but because he firmly suspected her demeanor was some kind of ruse.

Zuko instinctively tensed for another assault, especially when he noticed that some of her fallen guards were beginning to rouse themselves. He knew better than to expect Azula would go down easily. However, when the anticipated attack came, it was from an unexpected source.

The volcano seemed to growl beneath them as the ground began to pulse with lurching violence. Zuko and Azula were thrown apart in the vibrating sway and tossed about as if they were little more than dandelion fluff on the wind. Zuko anchored himself into the ground in an effort to keep from being knocked around so much. Once he was relatively steady he was able to get a glimpse of what was happening with Azula.

Through the jarring chaos, he saw her make several attempts to stagger towards the airship only to be thrown back again and again. Dai Li agents clawed their way over the ragged edges of rock and the voluminous amounts of lava that bled through the ground, in order to get to her. Zuko counted the seconds, anticipating the moment when the earth would stop its frenetic shaking, but it never did. Flows of superheated rock forced him to bend himself to higher ground, which unfortunately put greater distance between himself and Azula. All the while, the earth continued to tremble, spitting up molten rock and poisonous gases and shaking the palace apart as it did.

While the Avatar busied himself with controlling the lava flows as best he could, a handful of loyal Dai Li agents finally stumbled their way over to their fallen empress and assisted her to her feet. Yet, even after they liberated her from her bonds, the young woman seemed surprisingly listless and unfocused. Fearful that she'd sustained an injury but nonetheless determined, they began leading her over to where the airship still hovered above ground in preparation for takeoff.

"Azula!"

Azula stopped short. The sound of her name infused the Fire Nation empress with new life, not because she had been called, but because of _who_ had called her. Her heart fairly knocking with hope and disbelief, Azula ripped from the Dai Li's hold and whirled about. The sight that greeted her caused her eyes to fill with immediate tears.

"Mom?" she breathed, almost unable to process the reality of seeing her mother again after having given up on the idea a long time ago. "Mom, is that you? What are you doing here?"

As Azula stumbled forward, barely heeding her men's pleas for her to turn back, the Dai Li commander had good reason to be alarmed. They were in the midst of a brutal quake. The palace was literally being shaken to pieces and his empress…his powerful, brilliant, decisive empress was talking to thin air.

"You can't leave him here, Azula," Ursa told her, gesturing to where an exhausted Zuko continued to battle the elements, "You can't leave him here to die."

"Why should I care?" Azula spat, "I don't care! _You_ come with me! I don't care what happens to him!"

"Don't do it because you care, Azula," Ursa said, "Do it because it's the right thing. I raised you to know what that is. I know you remember."

"You didn't do the right thing," Azula reminded her stubbornly.

"No, I didn't and I paid for it too. You don't have to meet the same end, Azula." Her mother's words were strangely compelling and yet rang hollow at the same time. Azula wasn't as interested in "doing the right thing" as she was in incurring her mother's pride. As she debated inwardly, she glanced from her mother to the Avatar and back again. She started to shake her head in refusal, but the disappointed look in her mother's eyes stopped her cold.

"Do the right thing," Ursa whispered again, her image growing dimmer and dimmer before fading away entirely.

Azula made a reflexive grab for the fading apparition. "Wait!" she cried hysterically. "Mom, no! Mom, please don't leave again!"

The Dai Li commander tugged on her arm. "Empress, please…" he pleaded, "We must leave now!"

She didn't listen. Instead, she jerked out from his hold and hurled herself in the Avatar's direction in the irrational hope that, if she did "save" the Avatar, her mother would come back. That's all she wanted. Azula was willing to do almost _anything_ to make her come back.

But she wasn't even within fifteen feet of him before her brother, his waterbending friend and Ty Lee seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Azula skidded to a halt. The moment was strangely surreal. For the first time ever, she was confronted with the sight of her brother's newly reconstructed face. She could see Mai smirking alongside him, her elbow propped casually against his shoulder. "You see? I told you," the knife wielder taunted, "You _never_ win."

Suddenly, her father's face was before her as well, sneering and sinister and regarding her with cold, dead eyes. "Who's the fool now, Azula?" he whispered, "Even as a traitor, your brother is worth a hundred of you! He's favored and he always will be!"

"No!" she screamed, "NO!"

"Azula, I want to help you," Aang pleaded with her, his heart breaking to see his sister in the midst of what could only be described as a psychotic break. He didn't realize that his gentle reasoning was far beyond Azula now. He didn't realize the ghosts in her head were egging on her hatred and that she couldn't hear a word he said. "Please, please," he begged, "I wasn't a brother to you before. Let me be one now. Let me help you."

"Let _us_ help you. We love you, Azula," Ty Lee added fervently, "You don't have to be alone."

"Liars!" Azula accused wildly. "You're all liars! I _hate_ you all!"

To see Aang flanked by Ty Lee, backed by Ty Lee, her last friend, perhaps her _only_ friend was too much. She couldn't even comprehend that her anger was irrational and unfair. Instead, Azula did the only thing she knew how to do. She lashed out.

Emitting a deep, feral howl, Azula yanked free the last of her hidden shurikens and, disregarding the constant pitching beneath her feet, she hurled it with all her might straight at Aang. He didn't even have time to react. The blade whizzed through the crackling air with alarming speed and embedded in the upper portion of his chest with a grisly thunk.

Aang went down like a felled tree and, the moment he did, chaos ensued. As small, isolated fires began to burst forth from the lava flows, Azula turned back for the Zeppelin in a dead run. Ty Lee chased after her while Katara and Zuko scrambled over to Aang's side to assess the extent of his injuries.

"You know, I'm feeling pretty useless right about now," Aang quipped weakly as Katara came to lean over him with a concerned grimace. He gently batted away her hands as she began fussing with his wound and, with an audible hiss, yanked the shuriken free himself. Katara quickly applied water pressure to the wound to staunch the flow of blood and close the wound.

"I'm…I'm okay…" he reassured him, despite the rapid loss of color to his cheeks, "It hurts, but it's not too bad. Her aim was way off. She clipped my collarbone. That's all."

"No, that's not all," Katara bit out furiously, "She could have killed you! She's crazy!" She surged to her feet with some half-formed plan of vengeance already blooming in her mind. "I'm not letting her hurt another person I care about!"

Drawing every bit of strength she could from the moon, Katara gathered her energy to do the thing she had sworn she would never do again. With cold efficiency, Katara concentrated on the on the blood pounding through Azula's veins and brought her attempted flight to a dead halt. Azula's intended escape into the open entrance of the airship was abruptly halted when she was inexplicably flung back and pressed to the ground. Her limbs twisted and contorted in a macabre frenzy as she was forced into a kneeling position. Katara's lip curled with satisfaction.

At first, no one reacted. All present were too stunned, unable to process or even comprehend what was happening. Azula screamed in terrified horror as an inexplicable pressure began to build in her head. Her vision doubled and blurred as she struggled to grasp the full extent of what was occurring. But rather than easing up, Katara intensified her assault, heedless to Aang's pleas for her to stop. She closed her hand into a tight fist with the full intention of squeezing off every blood vessel in Azula's body.

Zuko caught hold of her wrist in a vise-like grip, momentarily shaking the hold she had on Azula. She whipped her head about to pin him with glittering blue eyes full of hatred and fury. "What are you doing?" she spat.

"Don't do it, Katara."

While Aang's frantic attempts to reason with her had not broken through her blinding rage, Zuko's words were enough to make her slacken her hold on Azula. Katara knew that Aang would never have the heart to take Azula's life no matter what she did to him because the thirst for revenge simply wasn't in him. He didn't have the ability to hate anyone and that was one of the very reasons she loved him. His heart was always open and no one was ever irredeemable in his eyes.

But Zuko was another matter entirely. He was a great deal like her. There were some things that simply could not be forgiven. The same darkness lurked inside of them both and they shared the same capability for rage and mayhem when they were hurt. Zuko, better than anyone, would understand what she was feeling at that particular moment and if _he_ was telling her no, then Katara knew it must be bad.

Tears of futility spilled over her cheeks as she visibly struggled with the uncontainable loathing rolling inside her. She maintained her hold on Azula though she did not intensify it. "She _deserves_ this, Zuko."

"Maybe she does," Zuko conceded softly, "But it's not your decision to make. Let her go. You don't want to live with it afterwards. Trust me. Let her go, Katara."

She did. And the decision was emotionally draining. Katara fell to her knees with gasping tears while both Zuko and Aang huddled around her in a comforting embrace. While she fell apart, the Dai Li wasted no time scooping up a weak and disoriented Azula and making a mad dash for the airship. Ty Lee bounded after them, dodging flows of lava and maintaining her balance as best she could despite the constantly shifting earth. She screamed for Azula to "wait," but the broken Fire Nation princess seemed to pay Ty Lee no heed as she disappeared into the airship. Zuko soon came to flank her in hopes of waylaying the airship's take off, but his efforts to earthbend the massive vessel into immobility proved to be fruitless.

Seconds later, the Zeppelin was airborne and they were all left in the center of the flaming, quaking courtyard as the world literally crumbled to bits around their ears.

****

The fall to their death was unexpectedly broken by the winding spin of the Zeppelin beneath them. Suki and Toph crashed into the metal hull with enough force to knock the wind from them both. For a moment, Suki had to clench her teeth in order to fight back the overwhelming need to be sick, pass out or both.

"What was that?" Toph demanded.

"Airship…broke our fall…" Suki gasped, biting her lip in order to hold back mewls of pain.

But, in spite of her efforts, the tone in Suki's voice was very telling. Toph scooted closer, her brow knit with concern. "Are you hurt?"

"I think I dislocated my shoulder," Suki grated, "and I can't pop it back in."

"Let me try," Toph volunteered, "Which one is it?"

"The right…Toph, I don't think you should—,"

The blind girl steamrolled her protests completely and in two, forceful jerks had snapped Suki's shoulder back into its socket. Tears sprang to Suki's eyes. She cradled her shoulder reflexively and released a low scream of agony. Toph, however, seemed impervious to her anguish. "Feel better now?"

Suki glowered at her. "NO!"

"Well, you'd better recover soon," Toph warned.

"Why is that, oh Mistress of Pain?"

"Because you're going to need both of your hands," Toph replied as she became acutely aware of the sudden and steep sloping of the airship, "I think we're going down!"

The ship's nosedive began slowly at first, but gradually gained momentum as it fell. Along the way, it crashed and bumped along other Zeppelins, which slowed its rapid fall from the sky, but inadvertently caused other airships unfortunate enough to be in its path to go down with it. Toph and Suki's terrified screams sounded in tandem with the loud groaning of twisting metal. They huddled together, trembling as airships broke to pieces all around them.

Long before they were ready, the vessel directly below them careened into the ground. The ensuing explosion was deafening. A flaring spray of fire shot from the broken remnants of the Zeppelin. Survivors stumbled from the hull in disoriented confusion. In the middle of all that, Toph and Suki's airship made its own crash landing. In the powerfully jarring impact, they were separated and knocked aside, virtually surrounded by walls of fire.

In a literal blind panic, Toph crawled along the heated surface of the metal monstrosity, screaming for Suki. Her palms were seared as she felt her way through the conflagration but Toph barely registered the blistering burns. Instead, all her concentration was focused on finding Suki. With each call that went unanswered, her anxiety and fear escalated dramatically.

Although Toph could not see the surging tufts of black smoke, she could smell it and taste the bitter sulfuric flavor on her tongue. Clouds of smoldering ash filled her lungs and burned her eyes. She coughed uncontrollably, fighting for every bit of oxygen she could. Toph felt closed in by the intense heat, confused and disoriented. It was the first time in her life that she could remember feeling truly blind and the sensation was terrifying.

"Suki, please," she half screamed, half wept, "Please answer me! Are you okay? You have to be okay! I can't go back to Sokka without you! Don't make me go back to him without you!"

It was strange that, at that particular second, even as helpless and vulnerable as she was, Toph didn't fear for her life. She knew she would make a way out for herself. She always did. Her primary worry was Suki. Where was Suki? Each time she didn't answer, Toph died a little inside.

She curled her small fingers against the fiery hull of the airship, choking back her helpless sobs. "Please be okay," she mumbled tearfully.

"Gosh, Toph," a voice remarked from overhead, "I didn't know you could cry."

Toph stopped mid-sniffle, all her worry instantly flaring into incredulous rage. "You idiot!" she hissed sharply, "Why didn't you answer me?"

"I didn't hear you until just now," Suki said. She knelt down beside Toph and, after stripping away parts of her torn uniform, began diligently wrapping Toph's sensitive feet in the makeshift bandages. "You can thank me any time for saving your life."

"Whatever," Toph grunted, "I can take care of myself just fine. You're the one who's hurt."

"Riiight," Suki drawled.

Toph scowled. "Sometimes, I really don't like you."

"That's too bad," the older girl chirped as she assisted Toph to her feet, "because I found us a way out of this raging inferno." She hoisted Toph against her, supporting the blind girl's weight against her hip. "So what do you say? You want to get out of here or stay and be roasted alive?"

"I think I'll go with option A."

"Good choice."

They made the dangerous descent back to the ground in a matter of minutes, their progress slowed only by the injuries and superficial burns they'd both sustained. Once they had reached relative safety, Suki was able to survey the full extent of the damage done. Only three airships were left in the sky. Two were well on their way to crashing while the third was on fire. As for the rest, their contorted, smoking remnants littered a large stretch of land that reached from the palace and beyond. The earthen wall surrounding the palace had been demolished and the rebels were already streaming through the opening in droves. The sight of that mighty army was more than enough for the enemy and they promptly began making gestures for surrender.

The battle was literally concluded in a matter of minutes. Suki blinked in amazement, watching with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment as her earthbending companions staked claim to what remained of the palace in the name of the Earth King. "Wow…" she breathed.

Toph nudged her in the ribcage. "What's going on? Is it over? Did we win?"

Suki smiled at her soot covered friend and looped an arm around the younger girl's shoulder, ignoring the throbbing pain the gesture caused her. "Yeah, we won, Toph," she sighed contentedly, "It's finally over."

****

The quaking had stopped. The eclipse had passed. But they had nowhere to go. They were encircled by craters of broken earth, rivulets of lava and continuous geysers of poison gas.

"Well, this is nice," Aang remarked as Katara helped to hoist him to his feet. He surveyed the burning disaster that surrounded them and assimilated rather quickly that there was no visible way out. "What do we do now?"

Three pairs of eyes settled hopefully on Zuko. "Why are you looking at me?" he exploded shortly.

"Well, you _are_ the Avatar," Katara pointed out needlessly.

"So what?" he retorted, "Is that supposed to make me automatically qualified to battle a volcano?"

"Well, you're the only one who can _do_ something," Katara stressed petulantly.

"If that's true then I guess we're stuck," Zuko muttered grimly.

"That's not going to work for me," Aang replied as if Zuko really had an option in the matter, "I hate to put more pressure on you, but I'm not ready to die. Some Avatar state action would be nice right about now."

"Seconded," Katara piped in.

"Thirded," Ty Lee added.

"What am I? A trained monkey? I don't perform on cue!" His affronted ranting did little to cow his audience. They continued staring at him with hope-filled eyes. Zuko uttered a low growl, massaging the ticking vein in his forehead. It was situations like these that he hated the most, when he was expected to be a savior to everyone present when he was just as frightened and confused as the rest of them. He swung another look around at their desolate environment.

"I guess I could try and earthbend us to safety, but with the ground so unstable it would be too risky," Zuko sighed.

"It would be great if you could fly," Ty Lee lamented, "Why don't Avatars fly?"

He regarded her with a deadpan expression but, upon recognizing she was completely serious, he face-palmed. "I guess it's one of life's great mysteries," he grated, "I'll be sure to take that up with my past lives at the first opportunity, Ty Lee."

"Thanks, Zuko!" she piped, completely missing the sarcasm oozing beneath his reply.

"Maybe _you_ can't fly," Aang remarked in a curiously excited tone, "but _he_ can!" He pointed to the sky where Appa circled overhead. "Look! We're saved!"

"Need a lift?" Sokka asked as he brought Appa in for a landing on the jagged turf.

Aang, Katara, Ty Lee and Zuko wasted no time rushing forward to mount Appa. "You have no idea how glad we are to see you, big brother," Katara cried gratefully as she flopped into the saddle, "It wasn't looking too good for a minute there."

"It's still not looking good," Sokka replied darkly, "We need to get out of here. The general consensus is that the Palace City is set to blow." His attention was momentarily diverted from the urgency of the situation when he noticed a filthy Ty Lee climbing up Appa's flank as well. He flicked Zuko with a curious glance. "Er…I thought you were supposed to be fighting Azula, not making new friends."

"Azula escaped," Zuko replied laconically, "But if we hurry, we can cut her off."

****

She sat on her knees alone in the far corner of the command center, rocking and muttering intelligibly to herself. There was little time to assess whether her behavior was a result of injury or something else entirely and, at that moment, her troops needed her _not_ to be hurt. Azula's chief head of security recognized immediately that the situation was dire.

The Empress was clearly in no mental state to command the airship. The need for direct leadership was painfully apparent. However, the shrewd Earthbender was reluctant to assume command of such a large group of Firebenders. While the Empress had tolerated him for his unique skills, he was well aware that he and his men were generally held in disdain by others. They wouldn't welcome his command.

He knelt down before Azula and gave her a light shake. She regarded him with unfocused eyes, but he attempted to reason with her anyway. "The men are waiting for your lead, Empress," he said, "Tell us where to go." But, as he expected, she was largely unresponsive. Quaking with inward trepidation, but surprisingly resolved as well, the Earthbender straightened with the full intention of addressing his Empress' troops…now _his_ troops.

Whatever speech he had planned, however, quickly became a moot point. From the vantage point of a nearby window, the Avatar could be seen as he gained on them swiftly. "We have incoming!" the captain yelled. Immediately, Earthbenders and Firebenders scrambled into action, taking their defensive positions in preparation for an aerial battle. "Open fire!"

****

As they rapidly approached the rolling sea ahead, Sokka gave a sharp tug of Appa's reins and narrowly missed the fireball that hurtled straight for them. "Great," he muttered to himself as he made a frantic weave through the sudden firestorm, "The firebending's back on."

Within the saddle, Aang, Katara, Ty Lee and Zuko were jostled about like bits of gravel in a tin pan. Zuko valiantly clawed his way towards the front of the saddle. "Could you hold it steady?" he complained, "How are we supposed to return fire with you zig-zagging all over the place?"

"Well, excuse me for trying to keep us alive!" Sokka shrieked huffily.

Despite the chaotic ride, Zuko, Aang and Katara staggered to find their balance to stand and fight. Katara bent out a large shield of water in an effort to deflect the constant barrage of fire blasts. They slammed into the watery wall with an audible hiss and sizzle. Meanwhile, Aang and Zuko thrust their arms through the liquid curtain in order to bend out curling streams of fire meant to strategically ignite the vital parts of the airship.

While the three worked in tandem to force a landing, Ty Lee started to rush past them with the full intention of launching herself off of Appa's head and across the open air in an attempt to reached the airship when, without warning, she was thrown back into the saddle. A deafening explosion rent through the air, something like the boom of thunder only magnified by one hundred. It was shattering, reverberating, so incredibly powerful that it actually created a momentary vacuum of sound in the atmosphere before it rippled up out through the air with a stiff rush of wind.

Aang glanced over the edge of Appa's saddle and that's when he saw it; a large, expanding cloud of superheated gases, pumice and ash funneling out from the Palace City and into the atmosphere with terrible, awesome speed. Everything on the ground that was in the vicinity of the palace site was instantly destroyed. Aang lurched around in a startled panic and yelled at Sokka. "Take Appa up now…as far as you can! Go now!"

Having seen the cloud and the alarming manner in which it had obliterated everything in its path, Sokka asked no questions. He yanked back Appa's reins and directed them towards the heavens in a desperate, vertical gallop.

****

Once the pyro-clastic flow came into view there were no further questions about who should assume command. The chief Dai Li agent immediately gave the order to retreat and the Firebenders promptly obeyed. Beyond Azula, her crew made every effort they could to get out of the cloud's path, but their climb upward wasn't nearly as swift as the Avatar's bison. Yet, in her secluded corner, Azula seemed unaware of the destruction and chaos unfolding around her. The frenetic footfalls of her frightened men fell on deaf ears. She was too involved in the conversation she was having with her dead mother.

She sat before Ursa; her head bent humbly, her cheeks streaked with tears she hadn't allowed herself to shed in many years. "I'm sorry, Mom," she whispered, voicing aloud two words that had never left her lips before, "I should have done something that day…I should have stopped him. I tried to tell myself it didn't matter, but it did. Why was I so afraid? I'm never afraid of anything! Why didn't I stop him?"

"You were only a child, Azula," her mother whispered, "I don't blame you. I have _never_ blamed you."

"I need your forgiveness, Mom," Azula insisted thickly, "Tell me I have that."

The fantasy Ursa then gave Azula something that the real Ursa had been unable to impart to her daughter while alive, something Azula greatly needed: absolution. "You have it," she whispered, scooting forward to take her daughter into her arms, "You are forgiven."

Azula melted into her embrace, oblivious to the fact that, only a few scant feet away, her agents and soldiers were watching the swift approach of the cloud with the dreaded knowledge that they weren't going to make it.

****

When Azula's ship exploded, Ty Lee's horrified yelp echoed through the atmosphere. She instinctively pitched herself into Aang's arms and burrowed her face into his chest, weeping bitterly. Aang's own tears burned the back of his throat like corrosive acid, but he could not shed them. He felt much the way he had when he'd learned of his father's death and, even more recently, his mother's. He was numb, having already endured so much loss in such a short period of time his mind was no longer capable of processing the appalling magnitude of it all.

A defeated silence settled within the confines of Appa's saddle. Zuko looped a glance around at his friends' solemn faces and realized with absolute surprise that they had given up. Even Sokka had leveled off Appa's retreat and waited almost with grim resolve for the deadly cloud to overtake them. Overwhelmed and exhausted, they had lost their drive and determination. They were too heartsick to go on. It was almost as if they were embracing death.

But Zuko was not ready to give up. If they were destined to perish in a superheated blur of volcanic gases he was going to go down fighting. He had endured too much, suffered too much, lost too much to accept another defeat. He would not.

Before his friends could even determine what he had planned, Zuko leapt to his feet and vaulted over the back of the saddle, sliding down the slope of Appa's tail until he reached the very tip. Aang, Katara and Ty Lee leaned over the edge of the saddle to gape in his wake, half convinced he'd lost his mind. But their confusion swiftly became awe when they realized his intentions.

Once Zuko reached the tip of Appa's tail, he balanced himself there on a rotating cylinder of air. He was hardly aware of his perch's gentle flapping as he turned his attention to the rapidly ascending and expanding cloud. Steeling himself against the fear rumbling in his intestines, Zuko bent out a stream of continuous, stiff gales into the center of the monstrosity, hoping to cool the chaotic conflagration within it and slow its progression.

His efforts seemed to have little effect, however, and the flow continued to eat up everything in its path. Not even the airships, which had long since made their escape from the Fire Nation capitol, escaped its fury. It ate up the line of them in an expanding blast of volcanic energy. The billowing gray haze was close enough that Zuko could actually see obliterated material being combusted and consumed in the vortex.

Hyperaware of the dwindling window for escape, Zuko inhaled a short breath and closed his eyes. For the first time since he'd become aware of its awesome power, he willingly summoned forth the avatar spirit. However, this time was unlike the others, when it had suddenly overtaken him and obliterated his reason. This time when he felt the barrage of hundreds upon hundreds of past avatars channeling into his body, Zuko didn't lose himself in the frenzy. He maintained his grip. He remained strong, stubborn and determined. He remained…Zuko.

When he opened his eyes again they flashed briefly with the luminescent halo of the avatar spirit. The spark of light traveled the line of his tattoos before streaking into his very soul, imbuing him with renewed strength and surging power. In a series of winding movements, Zuko funneled an arcing stream of water from the chaotic sea below and began continuously feeding the wave into the explosive murk. Great puffs of blistering steam rose up from the cloud, reducing visibility to zero.

The heat was nearly unbearable. The wafting, poisonous gases were strong enough to induce nausea and dizziness. But, for the first time since Zuko had begun, the violent wall of pumice and ash below him finally started to calm.

In a final effort to dissipate the cloud entirely, Zuko drew in another deep breath and bent back the swirling particles of rock and ash being battled around within the flow. Using the combined skills of both earth and airbending, he forced the heavier particles of earth back down to the surface, compressing the explosive gases with them. His actions brought the more destructive parts of the cloud under control while the sooty ash, which continued to be belted from the volcano, was left to swirl in the atmosphere like an airy storm. The pressure he created within the cloud was outstanding and inevitably triggered another explosion. This one, however, merely flashed out across the surface of the water before fizzling out in great wafting tufts of vapor and left sea several degrees warmer and saturated with sediment.

In the trembling aftermath, Zuko collapsed back into the furry warmth of Appa's tail, completely spent and hardly aware of the black ash that drifted across his cheeks and eyelids like falling snow.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this is it. We've finally reached the end of this thing. Phew! There were a couple of times when I wasn't sure I was going to make it. This is not only the longest Avatar fanfic I've ever written, but it also took me the longest to write. It was hard, but it was fun as well and I'm glad I stuck with it. **

**There's only the epilogue left now. It's already written, so I'll likely post it in the morning and then this baby will be officially complete. **

**In the meantime, I wanted to take the opportunity to say "thank you." I would like to thank all my readers and faithful reviewers. I know I'm not an extremely interactive author because I'm not very good at addressing your individual reviews, but I wanted you all to know that each one of you, whether you left a review, favorite'd, or simply lurked, meant a great deal to me. I know there are quite a few readers that stepped outside of their comfort zone to read this and, in this fandom, that's a big deal. I also appreciate the readers who gave this fic a chance despite its generic summary. Thank you all very, very much. (Sorry if this sounds like an acceptance speech…but it's kind of sad to finally be at the end of this story.)**

**I'd also like to thank my beta, Satyuros, who probably didn't realize what he was signing on to when he agreed to look this fic over. He's been an amazing asset to me and even though I used to rant in my head whenever he told me, "It needs more here," the suggestion always turned out to be a good one. So thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this for me, Brendan. Maybe I can return the favor someday.**

**And that's it, I guess. Until tomorrow…**


	59. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The damage was even greater than Iroh had expected.

Nothing but barren, burning wasteland blanketed with smoking ash remained of what had once been the Fire Nation capitol, home to generations of Firelords, the literal birthplace of kings. Shoulders stooped and with an incredibly heavy heart, the newly crowned Firelord surveyed the extensive damage that seemed to stretch on for miles and wept for the loss.

Centuries' worth of craftsmanship and traditions, all of his boyhood memories, the sacred temples housing the remains of Firelords past and their wives, even the ashes of his own beloved son Lu Ten had been demolished and leveled in the blast. Not even a stone remained. But all that paled in comparison to the catastrophic loss of life. Only a few dozen residents of the Palace City had survived the eruption, those fortunate enough to be beyond the deadly cloud's path. The rest, including his niece, had perished in the holocaust.

When he had received urgent word from his nephew three days earlier detailing the harrowing events in the Palace City, Iroh had fully expected to step into a war zone. It was that and _more_. There was nothing, not even his many years of military service, could have prepared Iroh for the utter devastation that awaited him.

The living had been in the process of searching for possible survivors when he arrived, but that task hadn't lasted very long at all. It became apparent relatively soon that there were no survivors. Attention had now shifted to recovery. Residents were allowed back into the leveled city so that they could sift through what remained of their belongings and hopefully stumble across something that had miraculously survived the blast.

Iroh watched with a mixture of sadness and pride as former enemies worked together. The barrier between them had seemingly melted away. No longer were they two opposing factions, but simply a group of people united by grief and dismay. _All_ were devastated and _all_ needed to heal.

With that in mind, Iroh turned to regard the bedraggled group, a conglomerate of allies, former enemies and subjects, congregated on what remained of the beach. "We will rebuild," he announced with determined certainty, "Perhaps not in this same place and perhaps not even in my lifetime, but we shall redeem ourselves as a nation and we shall be what we once were…a people of pride and dignity and strength…

"My father foresaw a nation made great on the backs of others, through fear, oppression and tyranny," he went on, "I foresee a nation made great through its strength, determination and forbearance. We will learn from our past mistakes and we will grow stronger. We will be a nation greater than what our fathers and forefathers envisioned because we will do what they couldn't. We will listen to each other, we will love one another and we will stand united, not only as citizens of the Fire Nation, but citizens of the entire world." He turned a glance off in the distance to where his nephew and the Avatar assisted the Waterbender healers in their care for the wounded. "With the Avatar's help, we can accomplish this. We _can_ heal."

****

Aang found her on her knees, amid the ruined piles of what had once been her home.

Ty Lee stiffened upon his approach, but did not turn around. He almost expected to go unacknowledged so that when she actually spoke aloud, Aang jumped. "I used to think the worst thing in the world was being like everyone else," she whispered brokenly, "I ran away from here because I felt like I had no identity. I wanted to be unique…one of a kind…now I am." She curled her fingers into the mounds of warm soot beneath her knees and bent her head so that her tear-streaked features were concealed behind the curtain of her hair. "I'm the last surviving member of my entire family."

"Oh, Ty Lee…" Aang croaked in sympathy, "I'm so sorry."

Abruptly, she threw back her head and fixed him with large brown eyes shimmering with despair. "I have no friends," she wept, "I have no family. There's no one left!"

"You're wrong," Aang whispered as he came to kneel beside her, "There's me." As Ty Lee dissolved into noisy sobs, he gathered her in his arms tenderly and held her close. "You have me, Ty Lee. I'll be here for you."

He wasn't certain how long he sat there holding her, comforting her as best he could, but when Aang finally glanced up he discovered Katara standing there. A few seconds later, Ty Lee became aware of her presence as well. Feeling self-conscious and awkward, she untangled herself from Aang's hold and fixed Katara with a wan smile. "I…I fell apart," she explained lamely, "and Aang gave me a hug."

"I can see that," Katara replied stiffly.

The thick tension that settled between them was stifling. Katara glared. Aang cleared his throat several times. And Ty Lee bounced panicked glances between the two of them. Finally, she pushed to her feet. "Um, well…maybe I'll go and see if they need a hand out on the beach," she said. Before she took off, she paused briefly to bestow Aang with a faint smile. "Thank you, Aang," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered back.

"'Thank you, Aang,'" Katara mimicked in a childish tone once Ty Lee had taken her leave. She glowered in the older girl's wake, rolling her eyes as she did. "That girl is so transparent."

Aang gaped at her. "Wait…are you _jealous_?"

Katara snorted indignantly. "No, of course not!" she flared, but the furious bloom of color in her cheeks told a different story. Aang favored her with a knowing grin. "Oh shush up," she grumped good-naturedly, "It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't eat up the attention she gave you with a spoon."

Aang's smile widened as he stood and closed the distance between them. He pulled Katara into his arms and back against him, resting his chin atop her head as he held her tight. "You don't have any reason to be jealous, you know?" he murmured seriously, "Ty Lee and I are just friends and that's _all_ we are."

"I know that," she acknowledged, "And I realize I'm being petty and ridiculous, but I can't help feeling a little insecure. You're hurting, but instead of turning to me, you've been confiding in Ty Lee. What else am I supposed to think?" Katara also feared that his reluctance to talk to her was due in part to what happened with his sister shortly before she escaped. However, she left that uncertainty unspoken, partially because she feared what his answer might be. His next question to her made Katara glad she had too.

"You really want to hear me grieve for my sister?"

Katara turned in his arms and stared up at him with earnest blue eyes. "I want you to talk to me, no matter what it's about and whether you think I'd want to hear or not," she said, "Maybe I don't understand the attachment you feel for Azula, especially after she tried multiple times to kill you," her eyes touched briefly on his collarbone, where the scar from Azula's latest assault lingered, before she continued, "but if you're sad over her death then you're sad. You don't have to justify that. I know that sounds strange coming from me, but I mean it. I just want to help you, Aang."

"It's not only about Azula," he confessed thickly, "It's about my mom and dad and…everything. Almost none of the people in my immediate family were the people I expected them to be. In reality, they were all virtual strangers, but I still loved them and…and I miss them, even if it makes me seem crazy and pathetic."

"It doesn't make you seem crazy or pathetic." Katara laid her cheek against his chest and tightened her arms around his waist, listening intently to the steady thump of his heart. "I was thinking that if something happened and my father suddenly became this whole other person, it wouldn't erase the memories of the good times we had. I think part of me would still have the hope that the father I'd once known would come back to me. That's all you wanted with your family, Aang, and that's nothing to apologize for."

He shrugged, uncomfortable with the course of the conversation but grateful for Katara's gentle reassurance as well. His eyes flooded with tears at her words, but he didn't allow them to fall as Aang felt he'd already cried enough. Hoping to keep rein on his emotions, Aang felt compelled to change the subject and did so by asking, "Speaking of Hakoda, how is he doing now?"

"He's still a bit banged up," Katara said, "Even though the subs were under water during the eruption, they still got tossed around a whole lot. But the good news is, the Mechanist seems optimistic that he can repair the damage that was done. We're lucky that more people weren't seriously hurt or worse."

"Yeah," Aang sighed, "I'm glad everyone in the submarines made it out okay." Though they left unspoken the dozens of men who hadn't been so fortunate to be on the subs, both Aang and Katara were thinking of them. "There's been more than enough death and destruction these last few days."

"Agreed."

"So now what?" Aang wondered.

"Now we clean up this place as best we can and salvage whatever's left," Katara replied, "And after that…I'm taking you home with me."

Aang smiled again, the merriment returning to his eyes as he pulled her closer. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're going to meet my gran-gran."

"But I've already met your gran-gran," Aang protested.

"Yes, but that was in the capacity of goofy and slightly weird boy randomly delivering tea and blankets," Katara laughed, "This time she's going to meet the boy I happen to love."

"The boy you love, huh?" Aang echoed with a pleased blush, "I think I like the sound of that."

Katara rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling a kiss across his lips. "Somehow, I knew you would."

****

The necklace dropped into her line of sight from out of nowhere, dangling within inches of her nose. Suki scowled in confusion before she became aware that the hand holding the necklace was Sokka's. She tipped back her head, an amused smile lighting her makeup-less features. "What's this?" she asked gamely, nodding towards the trinket.

"It's for you," he said solemnly, kneeling so that he could press the necklace into her hands. As Suki squealed her excitement and delicately skimmed her fingers over the swirling symbols carved in the precious silver pendant, Sokka added, "I made it myself."

Suki gaped at him. "You made this?" she whispered with incredulous delight, "When did you have time to make me a necklace?"

"I try to make time for the really important things."

"Really important things?" she echoed blankly, "Sokka, I don't understand."

"When I was in the North Pole with my gran's people, I learned of this ancient tradition were the man will carve a necklace for the woman he wants to marry," he explained tremulously, "Where I grew up, we don't do things like that, but it seemed appropriate this time. I've…never really done anything like it, so I'm a little scared that I might have messed it up, but…" He swallowed, halting his discursive monologue so that he could collect his thoughts. Finally, he murmured, "This is what I want, Suki. This is what you mean to me."

"Sokka," she breathed, staring down at the necklace with an entirely different perspective now. She swallowed the lump of emotion forming in her throat. "You want to marry me?"

"I know we're still young and I know it might seem really sudden, but I know who I am and what I want, Suki," Sokka whispered fervidly, "I want to be with you. I want you to be my wife."

"I don't understand where this is coming from…"

"I love you and you love me," Sokka stated confidently, "There's no reason to wait, especially when we both know how unpredictable life is. You and Toph nearly died in Ba Sing Se and we came awfully close over here. Why should we put it off?"

"Is that what this is about?" she sighed softly, "Are you afraid that if you don't do this now that you'll lose me later?" She reached out to cradle his cheek briefly, her mouth turned in a small, bittersweet smile. "Death is inevitable Sokka. Marrying me won't change that."

"I know," Sokka acknowledged, "I don't want to marry you because I'm trying to change it. I want to marry you because I want to be committed to you in every way. I don't want to look back ten years down the line and be filled with regrets because I held back with you. I want you to know that I love you with everything I have."

Suki darted a glance from the necklace in her hands, to Sokka's earnestly hopeful features and then back to the necklace. "Yeah, but doesn't marriage seem a little extreme?"

The reluctance in her tone was almost tangible. Sokka frowned, sensing for the first time that she wasn't as enthused about the prospect of getting married as he was. "Don't you want to marry me, Suki?"

"Yes, I do," she replied fervently before added in a stilted tone, "Just not right now."

Her answer was the last thing Sokka expected and his resulting disappointment was stamped plainly all over his face. "What does that mean?" he asked, "'Not right now?'"

"Sokka, you said a moment ago that you know who you are and what you want," Suki reminded him, "Well, I…don't." Before he could deflate completely over that, Suki quickly went on to explain. "I know I want to be with you," she assured him quickly, "That's the one thing I don't have any doubts about. But who I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life…that's the part I don't know. I'm not even sure I know where I want to live."

"I thought you wanted to be a Kyoshi Warrior."

"I'm a Kyoshi Warrior because that's what Oyagi raised me to be and I wanted to please him," she clarified softly, "I wanted to pay him back for giving me a home and loving me. But, as far as what _Suki_ wants…well, she's still trying to figure that part out."

"Do you want to figure it out alone?" Sokka wondered glumly, "Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No!" she responded vehemently. "I've got a scary journey ahead of me, Sokka. I don't know if I could make it without you."

The besotted smile her answer provoked soon dissolved into a befuddled frown. "Then, if you feel that way, why are you turning me down?"

"It wouldn't be fair to marry you now. You deserve to have a wife who knows who she is and what she wants," Suki reasoned, "How could I possibly make you happy, Sokka, if I don't even know what makes _me_ happy?"

"I guess that makes sense," he mumbled, "Even though I wish it didn't."

Suki resolutely folded the necklace back into his palm. "It won't be 'no' forever," she promised him, "I want you to ask me again…when the time is right. Will you do that, Sokka? Will you ask me again?"

He looked into her deep, blue eyes, filled with hurt and disappointment, but overwhelming love for her as well. He recognized that she wasn't telling him "no" only for herself, she was doing it for them both because she wanted them to last just as much as he did. "Yes," he whispered, drawing her close for a lingering kiss, "I'll ask you again."

****

"Sulking by the seaside," Toph remarked blandly, "Why am I not surprised?"

Zuko tossed her an eye-rolling glare. "How do you know I'm sulking?" he challenged, "You can't see anything."

"Oh, I know you, Zuko," she replied airily. She plopped down beside him. "So what's up?"

"Nothing."

"Right," Toph snorted. "The war is finally over. You've fulfilled your destiny and you're a national hero and yet, instead of joining the victory celebration, you're over here brooding by yourself. Just when I think you're over it, you turn around and say something that makes me want to throttle you."

"What exactly is there to celebrate?" Zuko asked, "A lot of people died, Toph."

"_We_ didn't," she emphasized softly, "We still have life, but what good is it if you're not going to let yourself enjoy it?"

"How am I supposed to enjoy it?" Zuko snapped, rolling to his feet. He began kicking moodily at the shells that littered the shoreline. "So I'm the big hero and I fulfilled my destiny! So what! What do I have now that it's over? You guys are going to go home soon and me? Well, I have no place to go. There's no place I really belong. I'm used to a nomadic existence, but I've never led that kind of lifestyle on my own. Now that my days aren't filled with training and preparation, I'll have nothing but time to focus on the reality that I'm the last of my people."

"Wow, Zuko…" Toph sighed as if preparing to say something utterly profound, "…you really _are_ a whiner."

"Your sympathy is overwhelming."

"You don't need my pity," Toph scoffed, "You need a kick in the butt!" She scrambled to her feet so that she and Zuko were standing nose to nose when she let him have it. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" she snapped, "You're so busy crying in your soup over what you don't have, you're completely _blind_ to the things you _do_ have and that's an ironic observation coming from a blind person!"

"Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because you're an idiot!" she flared, "You finally have the weight of the world off of your shoulders, Zuko! Now you can do what you want. You can go where you want. Your life is yours to live how you please."

"But I don't know what to do!" Zuko retorted hotly, "That's the problem! Besides traveling from town to town to help people rebuild their lives, I have no life plans of my own. I don't know what to do. I don't know what the future holds for me."

"What's wrong with winging it?" Toph ventured.

"I'm not a 'winging it' sort of guy," Zuko grumped.

His morose persistence made Toph growl aloud in frustration. "That's it! You're coming home with me."

"What?"

"I'm taking you home with me," Toph reiterated.

"Toph, I'm not a pet!" he snapped, "You can't just drag me all over the place. If I want to go…" He paused mid-tirade when the significance of what she was telling him finally dawned. "Wait a second…you're going home?"

"Why is that so shocking?" she demanded, "I'm thinking the 'letting my parents think I'm dead' thing isn't going to work forever, you know?"

"Well, I'm glad for you," Zuko commended her. "I think you're doing the right thing."

"Good. You can keep reminding me of that on our way there. Otherwise, I'm not so sure I'd go through with it."

Toph was oblivious to how positively green he became at the idea, but his reluctant tone more than made up for that. "Uh…I don't know if this is a good idea," he hedged, "I don't usually make very good first impressions."

"You made a great one on me," Toph argued with a wide grin.

Zuko opened his mouth to remind her that they had fought the first time they met and then he remembered, for Toph, that _was_ a good first impression. He shook his head in befuddlement. "Why do you want to take me with you?"

"Because you need a family and I have one that I am _more_ than willing to share."

"Well, when you make the invitation so gracious…" Zuko deadpanned sardonically.

Toph practically whooped with excitement. "Awesome! Then it's settled," she said, "We'll leave right after we're done with the little field trip you and Aang have planned for us."

"It's not a 'field trip,' Toph. We're going to scatter Mai's ashes," Zuko reminded her.

"Yeah, that's going to be a roaring good time…I can tell."

Zuko grimaced, torn between shaking his head at her irreverence and snorting in amusement. He did both. "Either you're seriously insane or you have no respect for sacred things," he told her. The blank look on her face told him it was probably a lot of the latter and a smidge of the former. "You make me crazy, but I'm glad you're my friend. Thanks for not taking my mess, Toph."

"And I never will, Moodbender," she tossed back. "Come on. Let's party." She snagged him by the hand and forcibly dragging him towards the camp where faint strains of music could be heard. Zuko shuffled along behind her, unaware of the contented smile that curled the corners of his mouth as he did.

****

"Okay, tell me again why Mai would like the idea of her ashes being scattered in a slimy cave," Suki wondered.

The small group of friends, along with their newest addition Ty Lee, trekked their way through the underground Omashu tunnels. Led by Toph's keen senses, they confidently through the labyrinth. At Suki's question, however, everyone stopped short and several expectant pairs of eyes swung around to Aang for answers.

He shrugged. "Don't ask me. As far as I know, Mai didn't have a cave fetish."

"You guys are such dunderheads," Toph scoffed laughingly. "This is where Mai and Zuko kissed for the first time."

"I knew it," Ty Lee hissed to herself triumphantly, "I knew you kissed her!"

"Actually, she kissed me," Zuko corrected, only too quickly amend when Aang disputed that with a loud, raucous cough, "Er…well, maybe we kissed each other."

Sokka directed a disgruntled glower at Zuko. "So let me get this straight," he began, "while we were busy fighting to stay alive and worrying about you, you were off making out with some hot girl?" That comment earned him a forceful elbow to the ribs from his girlfriend. "But she wasn't nearly as hot as you, Suki," he wheezed dutifully.

"Well, I think it's romantic," Katara said.

"I do too," Ty Lee added with a dramatic sigh, "It's almost like they were destined to be together."

"Wow, it's a miracle," Toph laughed, "Sugar Queen and Pixie Dust actually agreed on something for once!"

The observation provoked and uneasy glance between Katara and Ty Lee and some degree of amusement from mostly everyone in the group, with the exception of Zuko. He was too grimly aware of the task ahead of him. "If we've finished recapping my love life, do you think we can move on now?" he asked a little testily. "You know how antsy Appa and Momo get when we're gone for a long time."

Within a few short minutes, and after some very expert tunneling on Zuko and Toph's part, they reached the chamber where the remains of the two lovers were enshrined. Toph, predictably, was the first to react while her friends were too busy taking it all in. "Uh…so what is this place, Zuko?"

"It's a tomb," Sokka provided helpfully. "We're in a tomb. Yay."

"It's not just any tomb. This is where the two lovers from the legend were laid to rest," Zuko explained. He pointed to the small step podium directly in front of the sepulchers. "That's where Mai and I kissed."

"Hmm, kissing for the first time in what amounts to a creepy, _smelly_ burial site," Sokka considered dryly, "Still think it's 'romantic,' Katara?"

"Shush up, Sokka," came his sister's snippy reply.

"This is the spot where we became friends," Zuko said, "We kind of began here. It seemed fitting to bring her back to this place because now we're saying goodbye."

"So…um…should we say a few words or something?" Suki wondered.

"Mai wouldn't like that," Ty Lee, Aang and Zuko answered in unison. The three laughed, amazed by how well they'd known Mai even though they'd known her in very different ways. "Mai wasn't the kind of girl who was big on ceremony," Aang elaborated, "If she were here, she'd probably just shrug and say, 'Well, I'm dead and it sucks. I'll miss you guys.' And that would be that."

"Sounds like my kind of girl," Toph laughed.

"She was definitely something special," Zuko murmured nostalgically.

After Aang and Ty Lee shared a few more touching anecdotes about Mai, the seven worked together to spread a careful circle of Mai's ashes around the base of the lovers' tombs. Once that emotional task was complete, they shuffled off into an adjoining cave, sensing Zuko's need to be alone. He crouched down low and traced his fingers along the pictures painted on the tomb, remembering the conversation he'd had with Mai only a few months earlier.

"It's strange that someone I knew for such a short time could change my life in such a huge way," he whispered, "I hope you're happy wherever you are, Mai. I hope you're smiling."

When he felt the hand settle against his shoulder he automatically stiffened with wild hope, half-expecting to turn up his gaze and find Mai standing there above him. Instead, Toph's stoic features filled his line of sight, but somehow he wasn't disappointed to find her standing there. It felt right.

"You're not alone," she whispered reassuringly, "I'm never going to let that happen, Moodbender. I'll never let you be alone again."

"Wow, you almost sound like you mean it, Toph."

She shoved him in the back for his altogether rare teasing, but smiled in spite of that. "So…uh…you okay now?" she asked uncomfortably.

Zuko pushed to his feet. "Yeah, I'm good," he said, "Let's get out of here. This place is morbid."

Smiling, Toph looped an arm around his neck and pulled him close in a genial hug. "I know I've never really said it before, but just in case there's any confusion on the matter I want you to know…I really, _really_ love you. You're my family."

"We feel the same. We love you too, Zuko," Aang added from the entrance of the adjoining cave. He was flanked by their friends who were nodding their heads in vigorous agreement.

"Aww, you guys…" Zuko griped good-naturedly before his face cleansed with unguarded emotion and he rasped thickly, "I love you too."

As they started to exit the mausoleum Zuko felt inexplicably compelled to turn back one last time. When he did, he wasn't entirely surprised to see Mai's ethereal form floating there above the lovers' tombs, a faint smile pulling at the corners of her lips. She looked much as she had the day they'd been trapped in the crystal catacombs together, when she finally admitted aloud that she cared about him. She looked…at peace. Zuko smiled at her in return, feeling peaceful as well.

"Be happy, Zuko," she seemed to whisper.

_I will, Mai_, he answered her in his heart, _I will_.


End file.
